Morrisons Paper Bags - Money grabbing?

[Thunderpunt]

Fully prepared to be told IABU but I’ve noticed Morrison’s have brought in paper carrier bags and they’re charging 20p for them - same as for their standard plastic bag.

Now I was fully behind the plastic bag tax as a way to limit the use of plastic, and to encourage us to reuse/bring our own bags shopping.
And offering paper bags instead of plastic bags is a great move as (I assume I’m right in saying) they are more eco friendly.
But aren’t they being a bit cheeky in charging 20p for them?

A couple of things strike me. Firstly they say reusable, but mine got wet today in the downpour and it’s unlikely it will make another shopping trip. Secondly surely the idea of the plastic bag tax was to make us think about not using so much disposable stuff, and to remember to bring your own bags so we cut down on plastic in particular. I don’t believe these paper bags will get as many reuses as a 20p plastic bag so in essence less plastic, more trees cut down, more waste.
Thirdly, other places - Primark for example - don’t currently charge for paper bags - it feels like Morrison’s are just being a bit greedy and finding a way to make a quick buck by guilt tripping people into not using plastic bags.

I’m happy to hear all opposing views on this as I’m sure I must be missing something but at the moment I don’t think IABU in thinking Morrison’s are cheeky and money grabbing

Why are you buying any bags? Get yourself some canvas shopping bags and use those. They last forever!

Paper bags have a different but still significant environmental impact. Shops need to do a whole lot more with their own packaging before charging 20p for a paper bag.

And do you really need to be guilt tripped into not using plastic bags? Seriously? You’d be using them if it weren’t for the fact that people are judging you/charging you for them? Do you not understand that plastic epidemic which is going to kill the planet?

I did have bags with me but not enough..hence needing to buy one - I overshopped again

We get charged for all bags in NI, paper or plastic, and have done since the bag tax came in here.

Guilt tripping?? Really?

And the point I mean about guilt tripping, is that they make people think they are doing something 'better' by buying a paper bag over a plastic bag, when as you've mentioned both are bad! Don't know if I'm making sense with that bit....?

I don’t feel guilt tripped whatsoever

We get charged for bags here in Wales too, be they paper of plastic. Even the paper bags that you get in Macdonalds are chargeable here.

The plastic ones at our store are still 10p!!! So they are charging more for the paper bag.

(I forgot mine the other day, bought the paper one)

I had no idea other countries charged for paper bags. I just wish they'd do away with them totally. Only option being a £1 or £2 canvas or bag for life type thing.

offering paper bags instead of plastic bags is a great move as (I assume I’m right in saying) they are more eco friendly.

Not really. Paper bag production has a higher carbon footprint and uses more water than plastic bag production (3 times as much IIRC). Also, paper bags are almost never made from recycled paper because recycled paper has shorter fibers and is weaker. So moving people to single-use paper bags instead of single-use plastic bags is not an environmental win.

Also, it may cost them close to 20p a bag to make, distribute and sell them.

Greedy, robbing bstrds, boycott them.

I had no idea other countries charged for paper bags. I just wish they'd do away with them totally. Only option being a £1 or £2 canvas or bag for life type thing.

Did Morrison’s not give you the option to purchase a bag for life today?

I wish shops had no bags available apart from really expensive bags for life. Would make sure people remembered their bags. (I include myself in this group!) If they didn't have a cheap option I am sure people would make more effort to take enough with them!

I think I gra d recently that Morrison’s are removing all plastic packaging from
Their fruit and veg. ( wonder how they do berries?

The idea is people actually reuse the reusable bags they’ve been stockpiling for years.

Shops will stop providing bags of any kind very soon.

I find the company loathsome but can fully see what they’re going for with this particular practice.

“Resuse your reusable bags, you entitled twats”

@rebbonk

They're not greedy robbing bastards. The profit from their bags all goes to charity.

Bags charged for use in our stores attract VAT at the standard rate of 20%. The net proceeds from bags sold in store were donated to the Morrisons Foundation and our national charity partner, CLIC Sargent

@saraclara

Duck90 no, at the checkout they only had paper or plastic. IIRC the bags for life are at the end of an aisle somewhere but weren't close to the checkout. To be fair I could have gone an hunted for one but had people behind me and wasn't expecting to need another bag. It caught me on the hop rather. In hindsight I should have just chucked the extra stuff in the trolley and the pen unloaded it direct into car and dealt with it at home.

I just feel frustrated that rather than offering less choice on the bag front and working towards eliminating single or low use bags - they are offering yet another one and charging for it.

However I didn't know that all proceeds from the bags go to charity- I assumed it was a tax and went into government coffers - so I'm clearly uneducated on that front.

Isn't it only 5p or something that goes to charity? That's why so many shops have started charging more? I might be wrong but I thought 5p was the amount they HAD to charge... By offering sturdier bags for a higher price, they also profit?

Jeez - order online then, the world's going to hell in a handcart and you're begrudging paying for a paper bag

I like them. I bought one the other day because I'd nipped in for a few bits and hadn't planned on going shopping. It got soaked in the rain and I expected it to fall to bits but it seems just as strong now it has dried.

I thought paper bags used more energy to produce than plastic? And I don't find them terribly practical to reuse. They don't fold up to fit in a handbag; I always have a plastic one in there to reuse. Paper feels a bit like green washing to me.

They do not charge for paper bags in the Republic of Ireland. Plastic bags do get charged but are only used in grocery stores as far as I know. Paper bags can be put into the recycling.

Paper bags are horrible. The Swiss love them, but I have (a) had nasty paper cuts from them and (b) had one, which had been used a few times but looked fine, disintegrate and spill all my shopping as I was getting off a tram. The bag-for-life plastic ones are much more reliable.