Last day for free carrier bags!!

[jannie]

As from tomorrow shops in Wales have to charge 5p a carrier bag ..

I know we have discussed this issue on DTL before ... now we will find out for real if banning the free carrier bag will make a difference .. The village shop is already trying to get people to sign a petition to keep the free bags ..why ???? .. well I for one won't be signing !!

[Scooby88]

I was i Wales recently and noticed a sign in McDonalds saying they were charging 5p for their bags, I thought it was a great idea! Carrier bags are pointless, everyone should use the re-usable ones and be done wih it!

[ChrisG]

I dont understand the petition thing. Surely it costs the shopkeepwer to buy the bags and he doesnt get anything back for them

[jannie]

I dont understand the petition thing. Surely it costs the shopkeepwer to buy the bags and he doesnt get anything back for them

I think he's playing to his audience Ruth ..a lot of younger people are saying 5p is too much for a little blue carrier bag .. but as I told him.. most of the older generation take their shopping bag anyway and they are his best customers.

[perchy]

Gosh Jannie, have been thinking of you since I heard this, good on them I say, wish they would do it here

If I was the local shop owner I would be stocking bags for life and shopping bags

[Orfy]

Why can't them just ban non biodegradable bags.

I and reuse mine many times.

I'm sure there are much more resources go into a 10p bag for life with all it's bright colours etc than a fee reusable biodegradable bag.

[Benny&Co]

More often than not now we use 'bags for life' and on the odd occasion where we 'need' a plastic bag we always reuse it in some shape or form

[Mo]

Why can't them just ban non biodegradable bags.

NO NO NO. I don't use plastic bags, take the trolley to the car and load into boxes. BUT the bags I do get, now & then are useful in the freezer, except that nowadays they tend to split and spill peas or gooseberries everywhere.

[Benny&Co]

I went to Booooots for a few things earlier and took my bag with me, when the lady offered me a bag I said I was surprised they're still giving them with shopping.

Jannie - just re-read your post and seen that it's in Wales where they'll charge for plastic bags! Hope they'll roll this out to the rest of the UK.

The lady at Boooots said she reckoned only 10% of customers bring their own bags!

[Sunny B]

Sorry, but I think we have huge problems in the world and the issue of carrier bags is a distraction more than anything else.

Mo, I'm not picking on you, but the fact that you are not using carrier bags, but, like probably pretty much everyone else, are using a car to get your shopping pretty much sums ithe idea that carrier bags are a smokescreen to me.

(and yes, I do use my car for shopping, and no, I don't use c.b's!)

[ChrisG]

While I agree with you in principle Sunny, if everyone stopped using disposable nonbiodegradable bags, perhaps that would be a start and then we could move on to dealing with issues that people are less likely to want to do. What I mean is, I know carrier bags are only a small part of a huge problem, but if we solve the small problem, then the world would have to start looking harder at the bigger problems.

One step at a time. There are those who might use your argument to suggest that because it makes only a little bit of difference, then why bother?

[Orfy]

Does any one know the ratio of resources used in bags for life and "trowaway" bags?

I don't know how any one can make a desicion without information like that.

[ChrisG]

Does any one know the ratio of resources used in bags for life and "trowaway" bags?

I don't know how any one can make a desicion without information like that.

The problems with 'bags for life' include - they dont last for life (just the life of the bag ) and they are still made of plastic and not biodegradable. It would be better if we were to use paper bags, cloth bags or cardboard boxes. Even using plastic boxes that you keep in the car would use less resources.

And then of course there is all the colouring etc as already mentioned in so-called bags for life.

[Mo]

Sorry, but I think we have huge problems in the world and the issue of carrier bags is a distraction more than anything else.

Mo, I'm not picking on you, but the fact that you are not using carrier bags, but, like probably pretty much everyone else, are using a car to get your shopping pretty much sums ithe idea that carrier bags are a smokescreen to me.

(and yes, I do use my car for shopping, and no, I don't use c.b's!)

True.
I could say
a) only when I'm passing
b)it's over a mile to the nearest shop

but you'd say
a) I use the car too much for going dancing
b) I choose to live in the wilds
More on this later - I'm off out dancing