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 can give all the whataboutery, all the obtuse denial you like, unless we each take accountability towards our attitudes and behaviours, we won't make progress in improving the current dire ecological situation we've made for ourselves. I'm no Greta Tunberg but I, like many, recognise that we can choose to stop making excuses and desist from calling people judgey just by pointing out the needless waste in our society.

We don't even need to take it personally, it isnt about each of us individually we're all just tiny little insignificant dots in the grand scheme of life. But we can make small changes if not for us then for the children who have to inherit our mess and adopt our behaviour by example either good or bad.

I do so wish all I had to worry about in life was whether I’d remembered to pack a plastic bag to save me 30p!
Normally I’m too fixated on making sure I have everything I need packed to keep my DD alive if her medical device fails.

What I’d give to have the time to watch other peoples shopping habits too…

you lead a very blessed life!

That said I rarely buy a plastic bag and wish they stopped making them! We usually find a cardboard box in store that we shove our purchases into and then just shove that into recycle after. But that obviously only works for supermarkets.

At the last count I had over 30 bags for life, plus various odd plastic ones, they all live in my shopping trolley! I do carry a little folding one in my handbag tho, like many other people, sometimes I pop into the shop on the way home from work so I'm not carrying any of the bigger bags.

I agree with you, OP, but I think mainly for a different reason - if people are happy to spend more than they need to on bags then that's up to them but I just find it painful to think of the waste of plastic! I know some people have said "well loads of other things come in plastic anyway" or "we've already cut down loads" but surely every bit helps? There could be so much less plastic going into landfill and seas if people just tried to be a bit more careful and found ways of not buying plastic bags all the time. It's easy not to care about this now but it will be a big problem one day.

Yes, that's my feeling about it

I try to recycle all the excess plastic packaging at Tesco where possible

Impacts are just swapped, one for another. People want to consume what they want and do what they want. The packaging industry is huge and I wonder how many posters on this thread have just bought chocolate eggs swaddled in plastic casing inside foil and cardboard. Plastics are not easy to recycle, cost a fortune to transport, etc.

I have always had a problem with dual composite packaging (plasticised foil in crisp packets and chocolate bars, etc.) - and that's nothing to do with the consumer - that's the manufacturer.

Arguing with each other is just pointless because I could pretty much guarantee that if each person here was asked what they do to help the environment/reduce waste, they'd come up with some things that they regularly do. Might not all be the same things but these are things that people routinely do in their efforts to help.

Banging on about bags and planes is just a bit stupid and very pointless.

I will hold my hands up totally accountable and say yes, sorry for the 0.0000001C effect my personal actions had on the climate. It's pointless if everyone doesn't do it and so the government needs to do a bit more than charge 10p for a bag but actually heavily restrict things like long haul flights, diesel/petrol cars, recreational meat, and so on, and then force us to get wind turbines and solar panels (currently lots of NIMBY types block solar farms in their areas!!) They ban drugs so clearly it is possible to do all this.

Why do people always come out with “if that’s all you have to worry about” type of comments. Most of us have a lot more to worry about, doesn’t mean that when we see people loading up multiple new plastic bags every time we visit the supermarket that we aren’t concerned about it, just because we also have to worry about being made redundant or a loved one being diagnosed with cancer.

My sister has over 100 bags for life because she always forgets and leaves them in the car. They come in handy for bin bags for me when she brings me stuff 😂

I generally always have bags with me in the supermarket if not I'll buy one.
Always buy a bag when buying clothing etc I want a nice new clean bag.

Food banks would welcome any excess bags if she wants to reduce a little.

That's a very good point thank you. Honestly when I helped her move house and i moved a bag the dropped confetti of bags everywhere i was shocked how many she has. Personally I've been using cloth bags for 15 years because I find it easier to carry my shopping on my shoulder but the odd carrier bag does come in handy!

I forget to bring bags sometimes either forgot to put back in car from.previous shop , left in car too far from shop, or bought more than intended lol but it pains me to buy another bag unless i really have to, if there is a box will use, (shops need to bring back using boxes lol always useful ) .

I started walking a lot last year, and as a result have pretty much ditched my handbag! To the point that I went shopping recently and only realised as I drove into the city that I hadn’t bought my bag or even my wallet with me. I literally just rely on Apple Pay these days! I love a nice handbag, but god it’s been liberating to walk around like a man with just what you need in your pocket!

Yes I stopped carrying a bag once I didn’t need the nappy changing bag. I’d already started putting my stuff in the change bag or pockets. Then decided to not have a bag at all. It did feel odd at first but agree it is liberating.

I take a bag of used plastic packaging and drop them in their recycling point as I go in

I've got three bags in the boot and use those, my parents seem to buy new bags everywhere and everytime they go shopping, but they're well-off and maybe that's the difference: I have to budget and can't afford to waste money anywhere

I bought a bag last night, which is dead unusual.

Usually I just nick ‘em.