Carrier Bags

[Matheous]

Why don't the Supermarket giants get together on the issue of reducing waste eg. plastic carrier bags in particular. To my thinking it would be very simple to make a drastic reduction of these unsightly bags almost overnight. At the moment ASDA charge 70p? for the fabric vastly superior re-usable bags and nothing for carriers. Why not charge 30- or even 40p for carriers and I'm sure people would drop them like hot potatoes. They are the scourge of the Earth.

[Buenchico]

If the supermarkets seek to agree a common pricing policy on any item they sell (including carrier bags) they will be in breach of anti-cartel legislation and could risk multi-million pound fines.

Even if they were permitted to formulate a common policy, there would always be some areas of the country where small local supermarket groups, or individual traders, did not sign up to the policy. The 'big boys' couldn't be expected to put themselves at a trading disadvantage when compared to their competitors. (If they did so, their shareholders could force the company to withdraw from the common policy of charging for carrier bags and the whole scheme would collapse)

The only way a charging policy on carrier bags could be made to work, would be if the UK government was to follow the example of the Republic of Ireland which has placed a tax on all carrier bags. The supermarkets are prohibited from simply absorbing this tax into their prices; they're obliged, by law, to collect the tax from their customers.

Chris

[Matheous]

Thanks for the very enlightened answer! I hope the Govt. pay heed to the Irish initiative!

[mnko]

Ireland charges 15c per 1 plastic bag. re usable bages are �1 and i would say 95% of people now bring there own when shopping. The U.K. need to take note. There following Ireland with the smoking ban in pubs/clubs/workplaces. its been in force over here for a couple of years now, and its alot better when u go out at night, no smoky clothes when u get in.

[beejaybee]

Why should customers PAY to give stores FREE advertising.

[Figi]

If you want to do something for the environment, take your own carrier bags to the supermarket. If you object to the fact that most carry advertising, turn them inside out!

[beejaybee]

I do take my own carrier bags when I go to the supermarket, but only plain white ones. As for any other shopping, I use bags but not carriers.