Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have not noticed about the 5p carrier bag charge?

400 replies

Snoozebox · 15/09/2015 19:30

I feel it was sprung upon us! When was it officially agreed by government?

I was in Tesco today and saw the signs that from sometime next month it will be enforced.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with the charge and have heard about it being discussed for years, but I didn't know it had been made mandatory! The cashier looked at me pityingly when I queried it and said it has been all over This Morning the media for weeks. Have I been too distracted by Jeremy Corbyn's lovely visage to notice this?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
BrendaandEddie · 04/10/2015 16:47

oh god i couldnt stomach a purple square of cloth carrying husband

DONT MAKE ME DO IT

Cartooner · 04/10/2015 18:01

I haven't read this whole thread but I'm new here and I'm shocked the UK has free bags till now? Shock I assumed most countries did this now. I'm in Ireland and this charge is 13 years here, it's just second nature to have bags in the car/in my handbag now, it's no hassle.

EllenParsnips · 04/10/2015 22:06

Always amazes me that The English seem to get all worked up about stuff that the rest of the UK handles without a problem.

Poll Tax (worked fine in Scotland), Home reports for selling houses (works fantastically in Scotland, sellers and buyers love them) and now flipping carrier bags.

PigletJohn · 04/10/2015 22:28

"Poll Tax (worked fine in Scotland), "

hahahahahahahahahaha!

Cartooner · 05/10/2015 09:24

Its extremely shortsighted (and a bit tight!) for anyone to complain about this, the planet is on the brink and it's a way to contribute.

PrimalLass · 05/10/2015 09:43

People are getting this confused - you are still allowed bags, you just have to pay 5p for them. It's not rocket science.

PrimalLass · 05/10/2015 09:45

How are shops with the self scanning tills going to manage it? We scan and pack all of our own shopping into bags, some are carrier bags that we have used again so how are they going to police it?

There are no bags at the self service tills - you have to ask for them or press a button to say you brought your own.

PrimalLass · 05/10/2015 09:49

Poll Tax (worked fine in Scotland)

Seriously?

PrimalLass · 05/10/2015 09:49

Home reports for selling houses (works fantastically in Scotland, sellers and buyers love them)

This one I agree with.

Cartooner · 05/10/2015 10:05

In Ireland in Tesco, for example, there is a pile of bags at the self service area with a bar code and put it in your basket like everything else you're buying and you also scan that first. Most people have their own bags as second nature though now.

FrozenAteMyDaughter · 05/10/2015 10:24

I love the bags for life in French supermarkets - some are very attractive or have photos or pictures specific to the region. I shall be mainly using those from now on. But it would be nice if the English supermarkets and shops came up with some attractive ones too instead of just more advertising for themselves.

ExploraDora · 05/10/2015 10:32

I saw an angry customer this morning, ranting to a checkout assistant in Tesco that they were ripping him off as usual and he wasn't paying for bags. He'd never heard about it coming in and he was going to ASDA from now on if Tescos are bringing this in. To her credit, the woman smiled very sweetly and said what a good idea that was Grin, then another customer said it was everywhere and he started ranting again. I feel very sorry for shop staff this week, I expect there will be a lot of grumpy and rude customers until we all get used to it.

Taytocrisps · 05/10/2015 11:07

The levy is 22 cents in Ireland which is quite punitive. Everyone invests in heavy duty shopping bags and keeps them in the car for doing the supermarket shop. Cheaper plastic bags are quite flimsy by comparison and don't survive being recycled over and over again. Having said that, I normally carry one in my handbag in case I want to stop off in the shop on my way home from work for a few groceries.

The clothes shops provide paper carrier bags free of charge.

If you're using the self-service till in Tescos, you have to ring for an assistant and she'll scan one (or more) through and then give it to you. You can't just help yourself to them.

As others have said, you adjust pretty quickly.

FrozenAteMyDaughter · 05/10/2015 11:50

This seems quite appropriate after ExploraDora's post:

www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/pathetic-little-twat-cant-wait-to-argue-over-5p-bag-charge-20151005102605

daisychain01 · 05/10/2015 12:14

I have no sympathy for consumers on this one.

I heard a piece on LBC today which was utterly barmy. It went along the lines of....

Consumers wingeing "5p is too much" well, diddums
whining "what happens if I forget my carrier bag when I'm out shopping" um .. well its one of two choices, either tough titty, struggle away, or give the nice lady behind the counter 5p. And remember to take a bag with you next time.

Honestly, when will people just grow up and act their age not like a bunch of toddlers!

OP it hasn't been that we'll publicised but in fairness my local Tesco has been giving out 1 Freeby bag for life per customer for the past 2 weeks as part of the awareness campaign.

Maybe I'm just used to it living on the border between England and Wales Smile

daisychain01 · 05/10/2015 12:17

And I'm referring to the silly people on LBC not the luverly MNers

Sirzy · 05/10/2015 12:31

I have just been to tesco - no riots at the tills there!

I assume tesco are charging more for their bags for life than asda though as everyone I saw seemed to have either asda or Aldi bags!

FrozenAteMyDaughter · 05/10/2015 12:35

The ALDI bags are nice though - I will soon have one in every colour. Only thing against them is the slightly naff slogans.

Cartooner · 05/10/2015 13:45

Taytocrisps, the bags in my local Tesco are left there to take, no asking required.

daisychain01 · 05/10/2015 15:48

Oh yes Sirzy you reminded me of the other ridiculous thing they said. The shops were bringing it extra security guards in case the staff got beaten up by angry customers

Civilised society??! Or maybe just LBC trying to fill up a slow news day.

ifonly4 · 06/10/2015 15:17

In reply to Sirzy's post, Tesco are charging 10p for their bags for life - on the bottom it says they'll replace them for free if they break. I can't argue with that, especially as Tescos were giving them out free last week.

ClaraM · 06/10/2015 16:25

The huge Sports Direct bags for life are great, all the stronger bags for life from many shops have lasted me years. The plastic bags for life aren't much good though. Will have to find an alternative for bin liners and pet poo bags/nappy sacks which is a bit of a pain - probably cheaper to keep paying 50p once a week for a batch of plastic bags, but I suppose we're supposed to find an eco-friendly alternative.

PigletJohn · 06/10/2015 21:08

I was in Aldi, who have been charging for bags for a long time. Their standard bags are quite sturdy, and last for several trips, unlike the flimsy throwaway bags at tesco which have a typical life of less that one trip, and will tear from the weight of a glass bottle.

Aldi are now also selling a superior bag for 7p, in a thick plastic with strap handles. I was in Tesco later, and they are now charging 5p for their flimsy vest bags.

noeffingidea · 06/10/2015 22:03

Clara, agree with you about the sports direct bags I always take them when I go clothes shopping, or christmas shopping, because I hate carrying lots of little bags. I just sling them all in there. I think they're about 75p, also useful for things like trips to the laundrette.

cdtaylornats · 06/10/2015 23:17

The best thing about the bag charge in Scotland is you don't see them caught in bushes and trees. Plastic bag usage dropped 80% in Scotland and if that is repeated in England that means 9.6 billion bags less. That is a lot of plastic not used, a huge drop in energy used to make them, less petrol to move them around, less storage space taken up and all you have to do is do what your Grandmother did and take a bag with you.

As for things like "how will they cope with..." well they've had a year to try everything in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland why do you think England would be any different. Asda Scotland isn't going to keep the lessons learned secret from Asda in England.

I find it crazy that this has covered 15 pages. It's not hard to understand the concept.