People still buying bags when shopping

[Auburngal]

It's 8.5 years since the bag charges were introduced in England (Oct 4 2015) and longer for other parts of the UK. My friend's DS was born on that day and she has pointed out he was born on the same day bag charges were introduced in England and people are shocked.

Why do people still not come shopping without bags? See the same faces most days at work buying bags. "Left the bags in the car" - pack at the car then!

If people buy on average 10 bags at 30p each per week at supermarkets, shops like B&M, Poundland - that's £156 a year. People don't look at the price as a whole they think "its only 30p".

Then see people down my road using brand new carrier bags for rubbish. Bin bags are cheaper (per unit), bigger and able to tie them up properly.

Then my work is opposite a few other shops - see customers buy two items and buy a bag from us when they have room in another shop's bag they just purchased from. What's that about?

The number of times I have bought bags is in single figures. For example - buying a coat - none of the bags I had were big enough. Brought 2 bags with me and one broke - it wasn't the retailer's bag in question. So couldn't get the replacement free.

Please stop buying bags. Fold one up inside your handbag. I am ok with those who bought more than they intend and don't have room in their own bags they have brought with them.

Taking your own bags is a simple way to help with CoL.

I keep forgetting to come out with bags. As as result I have a ridiculous amount of carrier bags at home. For the past couple of months Ive got into the habit of putting a carrier bag & tote shopping bag inside my work handbag, even if I don't think I'll go shopping. Its solving the problem somewhat as its silly to keep buying carrier bags. The ones at home im repurposing them as bin bags as theyre taking up unnecessary space and its annoying. I do think about the environmental aspect as well.

@IloveAslan do you live somewhere where it doesn't rain much?
Because paper bags are frequently pointless in the typical UK rain.

The planet is fucked. It will be our grandchildren who will pay the ultimate price for the damage we are doing now.

@StSwithinsDay I agree - unfortunately investment in decent recycling methods seems to be low down councils priorities.

I think it's too late for recycling plastic bags. There is so much else going on - the production of lithium batteries for example is so damaging to the environment. The bombings in Ukraine and Gaza are releasing tons of carbon.
It's pointless worrying about bags and bottles.

I have literally hundreds of carrier bags. I try to keep 20 in the car but sometimes I forget.

I don't normally carry a bag anymore since Google pay.

@StSwithinsDay not just recycling plastic though. Anything that could be recycled.
Where my parents live the local council doesn't take glass as part of the doorstep collection.
You either have to take it to a public bottle bank or put it in the landfill bin.
I have no car and struggle to carry heavy bags. So if I lived there anything glass would have to go to landfill.
That's ridiculous.

Definitely this.

Bumping this comment.

People just don't give a shit, and it's the poor sea life and wildlife who are suffering.

I’m too busy doing things more interesting than remembering a bag ✌️

Some of us actually give a shit about the planet, the animals who share it with us and the wildlife.

I could understand this if you were concerned about the environment, but why are you bothered about how other people manage their money?

I put my old plastic bags in a recycling bin. How is it my fault if it gets dumped into the sea? I am depositing it into recycling bins in good faith.

I'm sure you'd find me extremely irritating. I walked to the shops with Dbaby the other day in the pram, to get a few bits. Usually I just shove it all under the pram, but forgot that I needed to buy some pork belly to roast and didn't want the possibility of the packaging leaking pork juices all over the pram. So I bought a single plastic bag to wrap the pork belly in. Don't worry, I'll reuse the bag many times before it eventually gets binned when it's tatty and broken 😉

I haven't bought a bag since 2015. I just bring my own.
One of my bags I've had since day one too.

I do recycle the plastic bag packaging from food at supermarkets too. I really hope they do get recycled.

But i am doing my bit and not buying anymore plastic bags for my shopping (even for clothes) since 2015.

I’m afraid you’ll hate me. I regularly buy new bags for life and ‘strong carrier bags’. They are in great demand at my local food bank so I always get them some along with my donations. I do try and get some bags for life along with the plastic ones but the price difference is prohibitive if I’m getting a dozen at a time.

@XenoBitch
I strongly suspect that the bags are not being recycled correctly after you say bye bye to them at Tesco. It's probably like the issue of where our 'recycled ' plastic bottles end up - in a third world country or in the sea having been tipped there by unscrupulous companies who are paid to recycle our rubbish. I actually work for a charity in a small shop. I only say the 🐢 thing to customers who bring their own bags although I'm a mid 50's post menopausal woman with cancer and a put it in the fuck- it bucket attitude so perhaps I should 😁
@IloveAslan
I agree with you. We, the staff, would rather not sell plastic bags at all. We do a nice range of brand new reusable bags which are really nice - I have some.

the level of narcissism is impressive. Don’t you care even a little about the planet more than “I want”

I don't carry a hand bag

I forget all the time sadly, wish I didn't but I have so many things in my brain to organise and sort I simply forget. I begrudge every bag I buy but hey ho

Well buy one of those strong ones in Tesco/Morrisons etc for £1.50 instead. And keep buying them if you do not bring a bag with you.

Yes exactly. How many reusable bags are being used a single time? I don't want another bloody bag for life every time I've forgotten to take one out. If it's only going to end up lining my bathroom bin surely it's better to have the option of a thinner single use bag.

More fool you. They breed under the stairs, you know😎

I am this person.
You're right. I absolutely kick myself for forgetting my bags every.single.time
I have a ton as I have to buy them so often. And use them for rubbish bags 🤦🏼‍♀️

What else do I put my soft plastic recycling in?

It is a bloody minefield, and the consumer in this case gets the blame for sea turtles having straws stuck in their noses, bags being caught around seal's necks, and the ocean floor being overshadowed by plastic bags floating on the surface.