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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

M and S charging for carriers

308 replies

Sausagenbacon · 27/11/2023 17:28

AIBU to find it cheeky of m&s to charge 10p for a paper carrier bag when I've just spent £50 on a dress? Especially as I got caught in the rain and it disintegrated.
I can understand why you would charge for a plastic bag, but this is ridiculous.

OP posts:
QueenOfHiraeth · 27/11/2023 22:48

I am old enough to remember when all shops gave free paper bags then changed to plastic because we were told it used too many trees and was destroying the planet.. Now they tell us plastic is destroying the planet and switched back to paper
I also object to buying a bag that disintegrates or rips within 10 seconds of leaving the shop but accept we have to do it because, otherwise, people will abuse the offer of free bags

Prrambulate · 27/11/2023 22:54

Even worse are the £1 plastic bags sold by The Works. They rip as soon as something vaguely substantial is put into them. Once torn in half they do function as two children’s cooking aprons though…so somewhat handy.

GirrlCrush · 27/11/2023 22:57

ThePineapplePrincess · 27/11/2023 18:03

YANBU. It’s an absolute pisstake and I make sure they’re aware of it.

Doubt they are bothered!

justgettingthroughlife · 27/11/2023 22:57

I really object to paying for a paper bag after all paper is recyclable. Plastic I don't mind paying for as I always re use them either for more shopping or as a bin bag . Paper can't be reused and 1 drop of rain and it's goodnight Vienna . Complete rip of charging for paper in my opinion

Curlywurlyturly · 27/11/2023 23:04

I agree that since the bag charges came in shops/supermarkets are making the most of charging for them but....if people were savvy enough to bring their own at least most of the time you wouldn't be lining their pockets further .
I work in a supermarket and I'm disgusted that people don't even try to hide their lack of interest in the environment.
Some people come in for a weekly shop ( week in week out) buy between 10 and 14 bags cost 30p a time so £3 -£4,20) same people were probably scrutinizing prices as they shopped 🤷‍♀️. I have had a customer tell me outright he doesn't care about the planet as he won't be here to see it ( did want to ask if he had no kids or grandkids but refained ) , another who is a daily shopper and probably buys around 20 bags a week possibly more . I reckon 1 checkout goes through hundreds of bags in one 7 hour shift . So thousands per week for 1 checkout × all the other checkouts × all the other shops in your area must = a colossal amount oer week in the local area alone .
As for the bag charge I would be all for it if it was working... it isn't . Personally I think they need to stop making them .Instead of the flimsy FREE bags going to landfill we now have thicker ( and less biodegradable I would imagine ) taking their place. Customers tell me time and time again they "recycle: these bags by using them as bin bags 😕 .
OP you are not being unreasonable expecting when you purchase anything for it to be fit for purpose !
If you managed to read this far sorry for long post 🙈

Davros · 27/11/2023 23:08

Furthermore, you can no longer use your "bags for life" until they are wrecked and get a replacement, they don't exist. AND how are they so "ethical" by making us pay for bags but my recycling bin is FULL of packaging from supermarket shopping. Grrr

KimberleyClark · 27/11/2023 23:14

I have had a customer tell me outright he doesn't care about the planet as he won't be here to see it ( did want to ask if he had no kids or grandkids but refained )

Glad you did. Whether or not someone has kids/grandkids has no bearing on whether they care for the environment. In fact having children is the worst thing you can do environmentally.

OMGitsnotgood · 27/11/2023 23:17

It’s the law. Get over it. Take your own bag in future

This has been the norm for 8 years. Have you been in a coma?

If people are going to be so rude, you'd think they'd get their facts right first....

BIossomtoes · 27/11/2023 23:23

OMGitsnotgood · 27/11/2023 23:17

It’s the law. Get over it. Take your own bag in future

This has been the norm for 8 years. Have you been in a coma?

If people are going to be so rude, you'd think they'd get their facts right first....

You would. But then this is MN where manners are for wimps …

kittensinthekitchen · 27/11/2023 23:32

I love fucking hate that posters have come on and posted that in both Northern Ireland and Scotland, paper bags are also charged for, and referred to this being covered in law and yet other posts are STILL fucking coming on saying 'It's not UK law' because it doesn't apply in fucking ENGLAND.

Get your head out of your arses.

Curlywurlyturly · 27/11/2023 23:42

I "refained " aka I didn't !! . Anyway I suppose your idea could work . No population then no pollution. Don't know why someone never realised this before .
I did think maybe him knowing he could add to the suffering of his loved ones he would leave behind would make him think twice but then he came across as compassionate and as educated as yourself , so I saved my breath 😙

surreygirl1987 · 27/11/2023 23:44

This has been the norm for 8 years. Have you been in a coma?

Plastic bags, yes. Paper bags, no. I don't think the OP is the ignorant one here...

flowerchild2000 · 27/11/2023 23:44

2023forme · 27/11/2023 17:32

This annoys me too. The original idea was to reduce plastic bags but then shops started charging for paper bags. Even bloody McDonald’s! I do take my own bags when I plan to shop but sometimes I shop spontaneously and it bugs me to have to pay for a paper bag.

The whole idea behind it is to carry your own reusable and eliminate plastics. It has nothing to do with convenience. The charge is to motivate you to use your own bag.

Curlywurlyturly · 27/11/2023 23:52

Last message was @ you but want to apologise for misreading yours re me refaining. Rest still stands though 👍

Dogcatmousecat · 27/11/2023 23:57

The Body Shop doesn’t charge for their paper bags. It’s generally greed !

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 27/11/2023 23:58

It's annoying that they don't cover clothes with something. I've got stains on new clothes before reusing bags that have had food in.

Yes, I completely get the point with bags for food, as most people go shopping for food every few days/week/fortnight and need to buy a lot, and don't find it especially thrilling - and it doesn't generally matter if you spoil food packaging, and veg can be washed anyway.

The thing with clothes, though, is that (most) people buy them far more seldom than they buy food, so you don't have a regular 'routine' to it, like you do with your regular food shop.

Also, buying clothes is something that many people enjoy doing and spend a lot of time planning and finding the right outfit.

It can seem like a huge anti-climax to have spent ages finding the right, maybe delicate garments and then being expected to whip out an Asda bag that you last used for some sweaty carrots that were near the turn (now that they no longer put dates on them) and a bottle of ketchup with some smeared on the outside from another bottle that exploded in the packing case in the delivery lorry.

Depending on the garments, supermarket bags are also not usually big enough to safely accommodate a coat or a dress, without you having to stuff them right in any old how.

hopsalong · 28/11/2023 00:01

Totally taking the piss at M&S. I always take bags with me but sometimes in the food hall I get carried away and buy slightly too much stuff for my 2/3/4 canvas or nylon bags. So I need another one. But the paper bags are so thin and fragile that just a few items cause them to split. Essentially there is no way at M&S to buy more heavy items than you have bags, and no reasonably priced stronger bags to buy.

Doesn't seem like a good business model.

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 28/11/2023 00:02

I'd also like to see the government charging the supermarkets 20p for every bunch of bananas that they insist on putting in a pointless little plastic bag that can't even be used for anything else afterwards - and finding as way to force them to pay it out of their profit margin and not pass any of it on to the consumer.

SwordToFlamethrower · 28/11/2023 00:28

H&M wanted to charge me for a paper bag and I was baffled because the tax came in around plastic bags, NOT paper bags.

I queried it and they said "we donate it to charity." I asked what charity it was and they didn't know. I said I wanted to decline giving to charity and they refused to give me the damned bag.

I was so furious about being forced to donate to a mystery charity that I walked out without buying anything.

The company is scamming money off people. They have no right to force people to donate to charity and not even telling people and giving them a choice whether to.

It is wrong on both levels. Paper can be composted or recycled, plastic can't. It's plastic that is taxed. NOT paper.

So wrong!

SwordToFlamethrower · 28/11/2023 00:31

If shops wanted to reduce plastic, they'd stop wrapping and tagging everything in it before selling it to us. They don't care. They're just happy to scam extra pennies from us. Vile

VisionsOfSplendour · 28/11/2023 07:15

SwordToFlamethrower · 28/11/2023 00:31

If shops wanted to reduce plastic, they'd stop wrapping and tagging everything in it before selling it to us. They don't care. They're just happy to scam extra pennies from us. Vile

Why so chippy? Relatives aren't some malevolent overlords, its just big business

megletthesecond · 28/11/2023 07:26

Doesn't everyone always have a bag on them? It's pretty basic; keys, phone, purse, water, reusable bag etc.

If you have too many bags go litter picking and reduce your stash a bit. Even the useless paper bags will hold some litter.

waitingforittogetbetter · 28/11/2023 07:28

megletthesecond · 28/11/2023 07:26

Doesn't everyone always have a bag on them? It's pretty basic; keys, phone, purse, water, reusable bag etc.

If you have too many bags go litter picking and reduce your stash a bit. Even the useless paper bags will hold some litter.

Funnily enough no, not everyone has a bag on them and no, not everyone has time, ability or inclination to go litter picking

Sausagenbacon · 28/11/2023 07:40

I always take bags when I go food shopping but, as a poster pointed out above, when I've bought a nice dress, there's no way I want to put it in a bag that I've used before.
And, tbh, m&s is full of sparkly, sequiny shit ATM, that'll be in landfill within a year. So I don't believe they're that bothered about the environment.

OP posts:
Tarbert12 · 28/11/2023 07:42

All these "I HAVE A BAG, IDIOT" people are so annoying.

Fact remains, marks and Spencer shouldn't be selling a crap product. Those paper bags are crap products that damage the other things you buy. Totally stupid and inadequate for the UK climate.

They should just stop offering bags at all (would be less dishonest) and see what happens.