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.

You are just turning people away from your cause, not to it

Give me strength, they're all out today! the cluelessness of it all.

"Your cause". 😂

Um I suppose you're just an alien from outer space over here on a visit.

Do you use toilet roll, op?

(I don't really understand how people remember their bags every time... )

@SnapdragonToadflax

I leave the empty bags by the front door. They piss me off there, so I take them to the car next time I go out.

If I were to store them out of sight I'd forget them too.

Some of the responses and attitudes on this thread make it extraordinarily easy to feel superior. No effort required.

Not everyone carries a bag.

Not everyone drives to the supermarket in order to leave their bags in the boot.

Some people might just decide to pop-in
to buy some groceries after work, so won't have bags with them. No point carrying stuff around because of 'might'.

Ditto someone might be returning from a fancy evening out at the theatre or similar - so don't bring their Bag for Life.

Some people might be irritated at repeatedly being told to bring bags to the supermarket when produce tends to covered in insane amounts of plastic packaging.

Plus, lot's more reasons, I imagine.

PPs were saying they have reusable bags in their handbags.

Yes, YABU. Bags are available for sale; some people choose to buy them. Just because you place importance on taking your own bag doesn't mean everyone else must.

Do you genuinely not understand why some people sometimes don't bring their own bags? Off the top of my head (i) unexpected shopping trip so don't have a bag; (ii) realised upon pulling out existing bag that it's broken; (iii) not enough room for shopping in the bag(s) brought; (iv) switched handbags and forgot to check whether there was a shopping bag in handbag chosen for the day; (v) can't be arsed and happy to buy one.

If the government was really serious about reducing the use of plastics, they would give incentives for developing alternatives (which do already exist, but are just expensive to mass produce compared to current plastics).

@BobnLen

Sorry, seen your query was already answered.

Well said, Yoda!

If you didn't get it, the poster understood fine well. They're having a pop at your mis-use of 'brought' and 'bought' because, that's who they are.

Your post irritated me as well but not for that reason. It's really none of your business.

Nor is my typo yours but here we are!

Bwahahaha!

Good one, OP. I felt sure it was going to end with ‘…good way to save the planet.’

I buy bags, because I find them incredibly useful for all sorts of things that a bin bag just wouldn’t work for. The 60p or 90p I spend on them a week is really not going to pay for my increased fuel bills, food bills, or frankly, every other bill.

I was defending you against the SPaG hag, Youcannotbeseriousreally, but... just as you like. Don't post on a chatboard and not expect responses when you disparage what other people do.

We keep ours in the cupboard under the stairs. It’s just automatic to get them out on the way to the supermarket now. Like putting my seatbelt on in the car.

I never reuse bags when I'm back in the UK. My mum has a collection of crappy reusable bags but they feel dirty, who knows what they were used for last time, it just seems grim to me. I just buy them and I don't care a jot whether someone on the Internet is fine with it or not, it's my money! It was a ridiculous rule anyway.

It's interesting how these conversations always turn out:

1. Original poster makes observation about waste/pollution that we could all avoid.
2. Counter posters comment about their freedom to litter/consume.
3. Supporters make stronger point about environmental destruction, climate change.
4. Angry retort from counter posters about climate warriors and their useless protests, why can't they go after the corporations, stop virtue signalling, this is a free country etc.

FFS.

There was a previous post on this thread about the plastic bags and the harm they do to sea life. Maybe read back on them and then you will think.

Would you still buy single use buy plastic bags if they were £2 each? I wish they were.... Maybe then people would think.

If I was out and about and didn’t have a bag; of course.

I only take bags to the supermarket.

£2 each time... More money than sense!
If it was my way they would be banned from tomorrow.

There was a previous post on this thread about the damage plastic bags cause to marine life... i wish people actually cared more about our environment and the wildlife who inhabit it.

Again just bumping this post.

I don't think the OP helped herself by introducing the cost of the bags and the CoL. It's your money. If you want to buy bags, from a financial point of view knock yourself out as far as I'm concerned. Nothing to do with me.

But from an environmental angle I despair at some of these replies. And just because there are a lot of things which are also damaging and polluting doesn't mean that there is no point to reducing plastic bag consumption.

People just do not care.
It's so sad.

I usually have a bag or 2 in my backpack and have loads of cotton ones (recent peeve - Waterstones do some blue cotton bags branded by location eg a Newcastle or Oxford bag but the only Scottish one available is Edinburgh, which annoys me as the massive shop in Glasgow is the same same as the Piccadilly one in London) and pouch ones but will buy an extra one if out with a tiny handbag or needing an extra one. I will reuse them or eventually use as bin bags for the smaller bins.

I did wreck a bag last year by ramming a cereal box in so don't judge people with one or 2 new ones ;)

I travel by bus or foot so can't leave them in a car.

I have a shopping trolley on wheels
AND
I always have a Bag for Life
AND
a folding tote bag or two!

Smug, moi? 😉☺️

However, I don't judge other people who don't have reusable bags with them because my wife has ADHD. I know how difficult it is for her to be organised enough to always remember to put reusable bags in her rucksack.

I can't bear paying for carrier bags because I always think I could spend that money over a few weeks on essentials like Percy Pigs for example! 🐷🐽🐷