The Carrier Bag Scandal

[cambrensis]

Amazing! Why is it the youngsters who appear to be behind the times?

As has already been said, England is to catch up in this year. M&S food has charged for several years. Dictatorship? Not at all...it's called "encouragement".

[buttons-and-bows]

If you buy one of the bags for life in asda ( think they are 10p) and they rip they will give you a new one free of charge, well they do in Llandudno any way. I will not pay 5 p each for cheap asda bags. I saw an old man one day walking out of asda with a box of tenna man in his hands, now I think that is disgusting to send a poor old sod out like that, embarrassing items like that should be wrapped by the store.
I still have a stock of bags I had left over from my shop and i use those or plastic bin liners, they are cheaper and can be used in the bin after.

[cambrensis]

...I saw an old man one day walking out of asda with a box of tenna man in his hands, now I think that is disgusting to send a poor old sod out like that, embarrassing items like that should be wrapped by the store...

I've obviously led a sheltered life as I had to look up "tena" in this context!

One could argue, of course, that he possibly knew what he intended to purchase and that he also knew that he would have to pay if he wanted a bag and did not take his own.

[buttons-and-bows]

Well obviously I should have looked it up as well as I would have been able to spell it, he bought them at the chemist and thought they would provide a bag but they only provide bags for prescriptions. Don't suppose you think about bags if you are wetting yourself

[countryfeedback87]

I understand some of the points made, I too sell at Markets and car boots and reuse the shopping bags to give to my customers there (as well as buying in bulk my own ones).

I wouldn't call it encouragement as you don't have a choice. I actively recycle and do my bit to help the environment, but I feel that is my choice and if people don't want to, that should be their choice. I have on occasion planned to take carriers back to the shop to use again but usually forget, especially if I'm nipping in on the way back from somewhere.

Plus, I wouldn't call it stealing as as long as I have an item in each bag they're being used... I don't want the bag to rip

[countryfeedback87]

Aldi is the only place I know of around here that does that, (plus they make you put a quarter in the cart return so you'll return your cart when you're done shopping), but I don't shop there as they never have anything I want and IMHO they're no cheaper than the other supermarkets that don't charge, so I'll give my business to the businesses that don't squeeze the little guy. This makes me feel bad for the Welsh if it's the law and they have no say in the matter.

Makes me laugh when we go Walmart in the States, and they have the big carosel thing and the staff literally give you one bag per item!

[olivia8143]

Makes me laugh when we go Walmart in the States, and they have the big carosel thing and the staff literally give you one bag per item!

THAT'S the scandal!

[zaranvalesasterix]

I think it is something that we will get used to, we always did pay for carrier bags and when they started handing them out by the dozen we got used to that. I often nip in for a bottle of milk and come out with three bags of shopping which will be a nuisance but something that I will have to get used to.

It will be a double bonus for the supermarkets, they wont have to purchase so many bags and will sell more bin liners.

[astral276]

Can't see why they don't bring back paper bags. They may not be up to the full weekly shop, but for those 'unplanned' shopping excursions where you don't think to take a bag along they would do. The technology exists to make a strong bag out of little material nowadays. Everything came in a paper bag when I was a kid (Yes, paper had been invented then).

[PetBazaar]

I wouldn't call it encouragement as you don't have a choice.

But you do have a choice. You can choose to buy a bag or not buy a bag. You won't be prevented from bringing your own bags to the supermarket.

Don't know what the law will be in England, but in Scotland there are virtually no exemptions. So for your market and car boot activities you will need to start looking at charging for carriers (if they are new carriers bought by you specifically to give to your customers), ones that you are reusing can still be given away for free..

One thing that is amusing is the number of people at markets and shows who suddenly decide that they don't need a bag after all once you tell them it's 5p.

One thing that does take a bit of getting used to is having to buy a paper bag at McDonalds, been caught out there a couple of times.