about Sainsbury's new bags?

[mangocoveredlamb]

I went to Sainsbury's today, and noticed that instead of the normal plastic bags I was expecting (to pay 5p for). I was offered a very fancy up market thick bag.

AIBU to think that these new bags must have a higher environmental impact when produced and so are the complete opposite of the point of chafing the 5p?

And what have they done with all the stock of the old type?!?

You can't get as much in the new ones either.

The whole point is that you take your own and then don't have to fret about the quality or environmental impact of the 5p bags...

Those 10p Sainsbury ones are horrible. There's no expanding seam so they hold very little. They probably planned it like that so you buy more.

I generally do take my own, but the bags already exist, hence my environmental fret.
I just feel Sainsbury's have massively missed the point!

The point is you are expected to reuse them, they have simply stopped doing the "disposable" ones at all and reduced the price of these to 5p.

I think the point is that they are giving you a better quality bag for your 5p in the hope that you will re-use it, and keep re-using it?

The old free ones weren't really that suitable for reusing as they would split very easily (I always used to recycle mine as binbags for small household rubbish) but he 5p ones seem like they will last a lot longer.

Providing you remember to take them with you next time you go shopping of course which has always been my downfall with "bag for life" type bags in the past!

I feel really dim now, I hadn't considered that they might expect you to reuse the new 5p ones!!

They are certainly better for reusing. A misplaced cucumber would render their precious bags useless.

I'm disappointed with the shape. Rubbish for being a in bag. The top doesn't tie well.

Umm there is another key point: as a result of giving you a better quality bag Sainsbury's are not giving the 5p to charity.
The bags are not as good as the old bag for life ones, and those need to be used a lot to have the same or lower environmental impact as the old thin ones.

I meant less good for being a bin bag.

Marks and Spencer improved the thickness of their bags when they switched to charging.

I am really pro reusable bags and as we have family in Ireland, Wales and Scotland I'm used to paying 5p or taking my own bag. Initially I was in favour of England adopting the rule but in all honesty I'm now torn.

In England most retailers will need to make the charge but and it's a big but --- they get to keep the money. If they charge 5p then 1p is VAT and 4p is costs/profits. Elsewhere in the UK and Ireland the 5p charge goes to charity. Most retailers in England have not agreed to give the money to charity and the government are collecting tax.

I like the new bags. I fitted loads more in, they were more comfortable to hold and I wasn't so worried about things breaking the bag. They aren't see through so I can't see what's in the bin, which is nice, too.

I agree. And they're too sodding small! You can barely get a thing in them!

I was amused in Tesco to see a woman trying to carry a whole lot of shopping because she hadn't remembered a bag. The bags are only 5p, hardly a huge amount. She could have made her life so much easier.

It remeindered me of a competition from Crackerjack, when they had to hold as much as possible without dropping it (showing my age!)

penfold That is wrong - all the major retailers are giving the money to charity, they have not necessarily announced which.

Many retailers that collect the 5p are not passing it on to charity. They pass 1p or 20% as VAT to the government and they are free to keep the remaining 4p. I'm pro reusable bags but not this.

I've been told that sainsburys are passing the extra money on to charity but this is through the usual store giving they already do, and they do anticipate raising more money even with the new fancy bags. They were very generous and donated to a charity event I was involved with recently.

They're bags for life so when it splits they'll give you another one.

penfold unless they are bags for life and replacable for free by the store, they are legally required and monitored to give the money to charity - which stores are you talking about as they are breaking the ,aw.

Carol according to the .gov web site stores can keep the money. I will find the link later.

Yanbu the new bags probably use 10* the plastic so even if bag usage goes down 90% this move would save nobplastix.