... to think that charging 30p for a carrier bag is taking the piss and has naff all to do with Attenborough and his polar bears?

[BerwickLad]

Seriously, 30p in Morrisons now. Even a paper bag is 25p. And Sainsbury's are charging 30p for little bags to put your loose fruit and vegetables in. This has gone way beyond trying to get people to cut down on plastic. What is wrong with just recycling the damn things anyway if you don't want them choking sea-lions etc? Rather fleecing customers?

Thank you for replying to my question, I was wondering what the little bags are like? And if you weigh them on the scales don't they increase the weight on the price sticker?

I did have a look on here www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/making-a-difference/our-values/our-stories/2019/27-09-2019-removing-plastic-bags-from-our-bakery-and-fruit-and-veg-aisles

but I want to see the little bags and work out what I could use that I already have. Was thinking of the little bags you put in the washing machine for delicates.

I don't know why you need to put loose fruit and veg in a little plastic bag. Just leave it loose. I just weigh them in the veg area and then pack them in a bag for life. I would like to see far more loose fruit and veg, particularly in Aldi.

Don't see the problem with carrying them about - they fold up! I have like three bags for life in my handbag all the time.

@BerwickLad but you are responsible. Of course you are, everyone is.

If I was in charge I would make all plastic bags £100 each - and I bet people would value plastic more then. And remember to reuse them too.

However if you want to buy loose fruit and vegetables and put them into separate bags

You don't need to put them in the separate bags though. Just put them loose in the basket/ trolley and after you've paid put them in whatever bag you're carrying your shopping home in.

They are only little so you wouldn't fit potatoes or anything in them and you'd struggle with a week's worth of carrots. Most potatoes come in their own plastic anyway though I guess.

@SmileEachDay but we were told it's about plastics.

but we were told it's about plastics

Who told you paper bags were about the plastics?

I am glad Morrisons still has the small paper bags for fruit/veg.

I don't like the idea of putting them loose in the trolley. People sit their kids in the trollies and who knows what is at the bottom of their shoes.

yabu
just remember to take a crate or bag when you go shopping.
or ask for a cardboard box at the till.
or pay the 30p if you really want a crappy plastic bag.

it's not difficult.

I'm glad for the charge but think it doesn't go far enough.

Some bags can't be reused after having mucky loose veg in them.

Ridiculous to charge for paper bags, absolute rip off.

I don't like the idea of putting them loose in the trolley. People sit their kids in the trollies and who knows what is at the bottom of their shoes

Um. You know that fruit and veg comes in from the outside, yes?

Im sure the carrier bag money goes to charity. I take my own bags 95% of the time.
I think M and S are one of the worst for unnecessary packaging, although I'm not rich enough to shop there on a regular basis!!
I wanted to try use soap rather than handwash or shower gel and found boots had every small selection although that might just be our particularly shit boots near work

I have found answers to my queries

www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/house-garden/kitchen-accessories/best-reusable-produce-bags-fruit-vegetables-organic-cotton-mesh-single-use-plastic-bags-for-life-a8962191.html

I don't like the idea of putting them loose in the trolley. People sit their kids in the trollies and who knows what is at the bottom of their shoes.

The fruit and veg has been here, there and everywhere with numerous people handling them, dropping them and whatever before they've even made the shelves so I'm sure they've come across worse dirt than a trolly!

I think it’s daft that in a situation whereby you need something to carry your shopping in your only choice now are these horrible thick carrier bags that are touted as reusable and therefore they can charge you more for.

I have reusable bags thanks, in a situation I don’t have any with me or not enough, I’d like the option for paper. How is it environmentally friendly to charge 30p for a thick plastic bag when a paper one would have been fine.

Sainsbo stopped providing plastic bags without any warning - bad customer relations. 30p per bag is unreasonable.
We use paper bags from the bakery & mushroom sections.

Just buy your fruit and veg loose. I have done so for years. Just wish you could get loose potatoes.
There’s no need to buy carrier bags, by a bag for life or one of those fold-up bags and keep it in a pocket. Grab a cardboard box and recycle it.

What annoys me more is that supermarkets move in the right direction, but then then wrap lots of stuff in unnecessary plastic.
I like the reusable fruit/veg bags, I stick other things in loose... But then at my local Sainsbury's the broccoli is shrink wrapped!

I'd also happily see proper packaging too rather than lots of extra packaging to make products look bigger too.

I think some companies and retailers are quite selective where they're willing to act

I also put loose fruit and veg in the basket without a bag and have done for about 10 years.

@carrots555 I guess you wash fruit and vegetables so it's less of an issue. I'd never buy loose rolls etc though in a supermarket. Different in a bakers where it's all behind the counter and only staff handle it but I've seen skanks wiping their noses etc and poking pastries etc too many times in supermarkets where they're all left loose.

@SmileEachDay charging for bags was said to be about reducing plastic. So I don't see how charging for bags that aren't plastic sits with that.

Incidentally the entire thing was pushed through by the lib Dems in exchange for freezing benefits, so it was always a rip off, fundamentally.

I completely agree that there is too much unnecessary plastic on fruit and veg in the supermarket. Shrink wrapped cucumbers, bananas in bags etc etc. That's why I choose not to add to it by putting loose veg unnecessarily in bags!

If you take a reusable bag and stop buying fruit or veg in plastic then tryout will be doing your bit ABD encourage the supermarket to do more.

But it's bullshit charging people for bags to put their veg in when the supermarket themselves sells so many items surrounded by fucking plastic. Like, we'll use as much plastic as we damn well please but if you the customer want to use it we'll charge you for it, you planet trashing bastard, we're doing it for your own good.

You can of course reuse them but equally of course you'll have to clean them yourself and cart them around with you every day on the off chance that you want to buy, say, a couple of apples and would like something to put them into.

But this is only a problem if you want to put them into separate bags inside your main bag, correct?

That’s not a necessity is it? It seems fair enough that you should pay a small amount for that convenience.

Are you the kind of person that says things like ‘this country’s roads are a joke, there’s too much traffic’ and ‘parking charges are bloody outrageous in my local town centre’?

We have jute bags mostly, and have used them for at least 12 years, I was still using carrier bags as well though.

The proper bags stay in the car so we can take them out when needed. I keep some of the roll up ones in my bag or pocket for unexpected purchases.

The plastic bags for life degrade over time and you end up with shreds of plastic, annoying when you have bought some pretty ones to use for storage, Waitrose ones do anyway as I discovered when picking up some of the older ones and finding they fell apart and everything fell out.

I have often seen someone pulling an old carrier bag from a pocket at the checkout and still see people carrying a pile of precariously balanced shopping out of the door.