... 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?

I buy loose from lidl, they have recycling bins at the top of the store for you to leave all of your recycling with them. It’s a no brainer, and I bring my own bags or use a cardboard box.

Was in Morrison's yesterday, the basic bags are 10p, the 30p bags are thick and last years!

Because it's a policy that works well to reduce plastic which is choking the planet. Just because you can't see how it applies in your specific circumstance doesn't mean it's not effective overall. Look beyond your own nose - there's a whole world out there.

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.

I hate to break it to you but fruit and veg isn’t produced in a sterile factory...

No, I'm not. I just think it's blatant hypocrisy for a business that uses insane amounts of unnecessary plastic packaging and incidentally whose supply chain is inherently environmentally damaging to charge people for bags and say they're doing it to save the planet. They're not. They're doing it to make money.

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.

Do you know where fruit and veg comes from?

Go buy a roll of the cheapest plastic bags the supermarket sells, open it, then you have plenty of plastic bags to fill with fruit and veg. Pay for them at checkout. And then you take the unused ones home to use in your freezer. ( only slightly tongue in cheek!!!)

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

It’s not bullshit. Stopping using plastic bags is a no brainier. It’s not connected to supermarkets using plastic. They absolutely should stop using plastic - but them not doing doesn’t mean single use carrier bags aren’t a massive issue.

Vote with your feet and use greengrocers.

@Mum2jenny already got there before you upthread! Those little savers sandwich bags are 35p a packet. Job done.

No, I'm not. I just think it's blatant hypocrisy for a business that uses insane amounts of unnecessary plastic packaging and incidentally whose supply chain is inherently environmentally damaging to charge people for bags and say they're doing it to save the planet. They're not. They're doing it to make money.

So don’t give them the satisfaction- take your own bags.

And lobby for supermarkets to reduce their plastic.

Or hit them where it hurts and take your reusable jute bag to your nearest greengrocers and fill it up plastic free.

It’s blatant hypocrisy to say you’re doing your bit when you’re not resusing bags or growing your own food, or not eating meat or driving or flying or running water when you brush your teeth. The hypocrisy argument is so flawed, just do your best.

YABVVU. Sad you put the welfare of the planet and wildlife before your own convenience.

Good Berwick Lad, just wonder how many other people will do similarly

Whoops. Should have said, sad you put your own convenience before the welfare of the planet and wildlife.
I wish plastic was banned or at least, huge taxes placed on its manufacture.

@FreshFreesias yes I'm just a big old environmental destroyer callously killing ducks by not walking four miles home carrying my shopping in a cardboard bloody box.

What I dont understand is why the government hasn't banned or put strict limitations on the actual production of plastic since it's so bad and our environment is in crisis.

Most of my shopping, kids toys etc are wrapped in 3X more plastic packaging than it even needs.

Instead, they brought in a policy which enables big businesses to rake in millions of extra cash. Most of the reusable bags I have dont last very long and trying to reuse a paper bag is laughable.

Supermarkets could limit the amount of bags a customer could buy per shop, say a 1 or 2 bag limit? Surely this would also encourage people to bring their own bags? But they wont because then they wouldn't profit as much.

I dont understand how places such as Morrisons can charge 25p for a paper bag and primark can give them away? Call my cynical but that screams profit to me.

@Pumperthepumper as I said, generally I do take my own bags, just for various complicated reasons found myself near a supermarket unexpectedly and took the opportunity to do a shop then rather than make an extra trip another time which given that I don't have a car made sense. I fucking paid for it though! And at 30p a pop the only people buying the bloody things are also people with not much choice, while supermarkets tell them it's because they're being ethical and love the environment.

I don't mind paying 25p for the Morrison's paper ones. You can fit loads in them and they last for ages.

But @Bunnybaubles people could do that themselves! If you’re annoyed about the way supermarkets deal with plastic then don’t let them - take your own bags, buy loose fruit and veg from greengrocers, but loose fruit and veg from the supermarket even!

Don’t buy your kids shrink wrapped toys, buy second hand, explain to them why we have to look after the planet. Or don’t, but don’t pretend that anyone is holding a gun to your head and making you buy endless single use plastic.

@BerwickLad you’d have to be very stupid to look around a supermarket and think they give a shit about the environment because they’re charging for plastic bags. It’s all marketing. So you’ve bought the bag for 30p and supported that policy, as far as they’re concerned, because you weren’t organised enough to bring a reusable - next time just reuse that bag or remember that they don’t care and just want your money and suck it up.

And I am grateful to you sarah for running that charity.

@sarahjconnor ah that’s really nice to read, I’m glad it’s doing some good somewhere

That would make me shop at co op Sarah.

@Pumperthepumper yeah, true. It's fucking annoying the way they bang on about it though. Look at that Sainsbury's link about the 30p bags - headed 'our values' ffs. Our bloody bottom line more like. And several posters on this thread appear to swallow it, which leads me to think that lots of others do too.