Carrier Bags-5P Charge

[Georgiesmum]

On the Wright Stuff today they were talking the prospect of the 5p carrier bag charge going up to 10p shortly, following the huge success it has been . What are your thoughts of this happening, or do you thing the charge should be even higher still.? Apparently if/when this is to come into operation then smaller corner shops etc will no longer be exempt as they are at the moment.

[Mamyalynne]

Tesco did those some years ago Corby, when they go the room is like a snow globe.

[gness]

MrG hung one of those bags on the inside of the shed door, Corby....with about fifty golf balls in it......then one day when I opened the door..... :-(

[whiskeryron]

I always carry a folded large plastic bag in my man shoulder bag which I normally use to sit on wet benches so it doubles as a shopping bag where needed.

[waterboatman]

I always has two canvas bags in the boot of the car. Also a plastic box that fits nicely into a trolley.

[Georgiesmum]

Anyone still remember the good old fashioned string bags as they were called? They are handy when going to buy vegetables at a market or farm shop

[murraymints]

I always have bags in the car..and try to keep one of those wee fold into a pac a mac bog thingy dodahs..the IKEA ones are the best..hold loads and very strong

[Old_Geezer]

I also have bags in the car that seem not to be with me when I reach the checkout. Before hypermarkets folk walked to a local shop for just the day's shopping; seemed more difficult to forget a bag those days.

If it's been such a success so far why change things ? Another 10p isn't going to change folk's behaviour and reveals it's purely for extracting more money. If they were serious about the environment then they'd supply non problem bags/boxes instead, but there's less cash extraction from the public that way.

[roopower]

I haven't bought a carrier bag for years. I invested in some paper bags from Amazon which have been useful, the ones with paper/ string? handles. They're easier for the person on the til to see into and can be used many times.

[diddlydo]

Why not charge £1 for plastic bags - that would concentrate people's minds far more. While we're sort of on the subject - I would like to see a total ban on takeaway coffee cups, whatever they're made of.

[mallyh]

those big bags they use in USA look good .

[hc4361]

Paper bags aren't all that green - they weigh far more and take up a lot more room than equivalent plastic bags. I read somewhere but can't find the link than 3000 plastic bags can be transported for every 100 paper bags.
Those biodegradable plastic bags made from plants are far better in the supermarkets.

[ummmm]

Gness - depending where you live in Ireland. Where we are we can guarantee a parking space just outside the supermarket doors so having paper bags is not a problem. Wouldn't be able to walk back to the house with them though.

Like others have said....I'm terrible for forgetting to bring bags with me.

[hereIam]

Will gladly pay it, but I try to re-use as much as is humanely possible.

[dance2trance]

Not bought a bag this side of 2000 anyway. I have always re-used. I remember paper carriers. I remember string. Surely we now challenge the supermarkets/department stores to not supply plastic anything? Why do you buy plastic bags? You carry mobiles and wallets/purses why not a bag of non plastic material? Oh you can't remember a bag because your life is so hectic? Oh really!! You remembered your mobile! Why do shops pass the buck to consumers? We do not make plastic bags in our kitchens and feed them to the ocean. The shops do. We must tell them to stop dead doing this right now today. Oh you can't your life is so hectic and fraught. You don't know how to complain! Oh you poor soul.