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.

Haven't you got anything more interesting to post about?
I'll buy a bag if I need to thanks

Then why have you responded to this thread?

I think plastic bags should be stripped from shops imo. Or to be charged at 1.50 per bag. That would make people think.

The consumer can do their bit and not buy bags in the first place and bring their own.

I agree that supermarkets/shops/retailers need to stop wrapping everything in bloody plastic all the time. (I work in retail myself and it kills me seeing everything wrapped in plastic)

Like a lot of things in life you pay for convenience. I don't think anyone cares if you're okay with them buying bags or not tbh

I've been using the same plastic carriers for years.

It's really simple. I get them out the cupboard before I go shopping and put them back in afterwards.

People amaze me.

Yep, loose fruit/veg is the worse for this.

But supermarkets are not helping things now. My tesco charges 27p for a loose onion, regardless of size.

Yeah, what is that about? A whole bag of opinions is 89p and yet 2 loose onions are 50p. Crazy.

Loved the Easter pricing though.

I guess there will be less food waste with that loose onion, than a whole bag if they don't get used up.
(Not the point of the thread I know)

The number of single-use carrier bags reported as sold by the main retailers was 133 million in 2022/23, down from 197 million in 2021/2022, representing a reduction of 33%. This is a huge drop from the 7.6 billion used in 2014.”

The key point here is single use. How many people now have replaced them with bags for life that they only use once, and suck up the cost? I can't find any detailed statistics on bags for life buying but there's this from the BBC: Plastic waste rises as 1.5bn 'bags for life' sold, research finds This same BBC report includes a comment from the environment agency that because they use more plastic a bag for life needs to be used at least four times to be better for the environment.

I agree that the OP's tone isn't particularly helpful but I'm with her in principle. (And yes I always carry a couple of bags for life with me. It's not difficult to fold them so that they take up very little space.)

The options aren’t just old tatty bags for life or new bags. There are heaps of options which are sturdy and last for years or which fold up tiny. It seems strange that these are the only things people think they can have. Is it a UK thing?

But having sturdy nice bags which don’t break with lots of tins in and are always there and are comfortable to carry is way more convenient. It’s just a habit and once you are in it it feels insane that we ever used new bags every time. It almost makes me nauseous the thought of the waste

I can't wait until we (in the supermarket where I work) can stop selling bags. It always boggles me when people come in to buy a full trolley's worth of shopping but haven't even considered bringing bags with them. You knew you were coming shopping - just bring some bags! It's the sheer wasteage that gets me when you could bring your reusable bags.

I absolutely hate having to buy bags, but very often find myself in situations where I need one, as I don't use a handbag and find it hard to plan time to shop so if I find myself near shops with time to spare I have to make the best of it. If I'm in the car I just load everything in without bags. If I'm on foot, I try to buy something I can put them in that will be useful, litter bin, Flexi tub, large plant pot, storage box or basket etc My latest brainwave is buying a roll of bin bags and using one to put the shopping in.

It was supermarkets that started the plastic bag thing back in the 1960's. Prior to that people carried their own food shopping bags. Initially bags were charged for but then one supermarket starts giving them away for free and they all follow suit because it was free advertising. With regards to plastic and it's effect on our planet, it's too late because that horse has well and truly bolted - we are eating it in our food via micro plastic particles. It is cheaper to buy fruit & veg wrapped in plastic plus the supermarkets closed the meat and fish counters during covid so that we have to buy our meat sealed in plastic. There is just too much plastic and financial considerations are paramount to all big companies so there's no incentive to reduce its use. It makes me feel very sad and I wonder what the future holds for my children.

For those who don’t carry a handbag, having one of these:
https://everless.com/
in your back pocket can be useful when you just have to pick up a few bits. Pricey, though.

Does selling people bags have a huge detrimental affect on you?

If it does, get a new job.

I wouldn't say it rains a lot where I live, but in other parts of the country it does and I've never heard anyone complain. When I say paper, I mean thick paper, like fine cardboard. Anyway, how many people in the UK carry their shopping home from a store? You can buy, for a slightly dearer price, a sort of fabric one btw - just NO plastic bags.

I agree with you that there is far too much plastic wrapping. However, in my country you can no longer buy small plastic bags to put loose fruit and veg in, they supply paper bags instead. Only a small step, but better than nothing.

I like new bags.

It kinda bothers me that shopworkers still ask "do you want a bag". The entire point of the bag charge was to reduce bag usage, and here they are actively promoting it.

... how else are we supposed to get it home?

@IloveAslan how do you think most people get their shopping home unless they carry it 🤔
I actually have several fabric bags - unfortunately many of those aren't especially waterproof either.
The good thing about plastic is it's waterproof so it actually does the job it's designed for.
When I shop I need a strong and waterproof bag - so paper or fabric usually doesn't work.

You might like me then, being the bag police 😆

I try hard to remember to bring a bag with me, but I often don't. I do hate buying new ones and will stuff my rucksack full of stuff and pile up my shopping in my hands to the point of ridiculousness- I only buy a bag if I desperately need one.

Agree with you.

I think they should go back to biodegradable bags. Or compostable bags.

I remember reading that after the charge was brought in sales of carrier bags did decrease; however sales of bin bags increased.

I like how Sainsburys has cardboard boxes near the tills. I sometimes use those for my shopping.

What replacement free?