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.

Woah OP, judgy much?

If I've got a bag with me I'll use that. If not, I will buy one. I will not expect to be judged for doing so.

I wish this was the biggest problem in my life. Other people using bags.

I see your point OP. I often remind DH to take bags/keep some in his car because he's one of the people who keeps buying more. He forgets every time and we have a drawer full.

And buying the paper bags instead is no use, where we live the rain dissolves them within minutes!

I'm sure the charge has done a lot to keep plastic waste down overall though.

Urm we don't always plan when we shop

Why are you scrutinising others' bag use to such an extent? And then informing us of the circumstances when you find bag purchases acceptable? 'If someone bought X bags from X shop'...so what? It's just made up numbers. Read some statistics about it if you are that fascinated.

Bags can get grubby and tatty after a while. Sone items I don’t mind putting in with a bag I already have, but other things I worry they will leak. For the rubbish I use bags that have contained meat or milk because it feels grim to reuse the bag for anything else.
I also often don’t take enough bags with me anyway and have to buy extra.

I haven't had a handbag for years. Phone and keys are all I have and they go in my pocket.

If there are empty boxes in thr supermarket I put my shopping in those , and recycle after.

If I need a bag then I buy them.

Think this is another 'wind up the mumsnetters' post

There's been a few lately

I agree with you OP - I always carry bags. BUT I also know that there are loads of things I think are a waste of money and other people don't. If people want to spend £4 or whatever on bags every time they shop then let them.

I've been reusing bags since I first went to France 35 years ago and had to buy bags. I bought five of them, and replenish them when I go back over there, as the big bags the supermarkets have here don't last as long, or aren't as big.

I usually have a bag for life folded into my coat pocket if I'm just getting odds and ends.

Those of you who don't, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

How have you even noticed this?! Are you keeping an eagle eye on people at the shops or something? How do you know that the people you see aren't just doing it as a one off?

Does anyone else sometimes wonder how many mumsnetters are judging them as they just go about their daily lives? Wrong clothes, wrong hair, wrong car, wrong word used for toilet, wrong hand used for your fork, daring to attempt small talk, having kids who dare to speak above a whisper, owning a dog and allowing it to behave like a dog, I could go on forever.

For gods sake get a life and mind ur own business. If ppl want to buy bags it’s up to them: sick of being preached at about shit like this. Hope all ur troubles in life r this small

Everything is on my phone. All my loyalty cards are on the sto card app and all my bank cards are on my phone as well. I keep a photo of my driving license on there as well.
I would only carry a handbag as an accessory to a fancy outfit, but I do have a viral Uniqlo bag for me baccy and keys on a night out 😂🫣

We purposely buy the green bags from Co-op because they are compostable and are better than the compost bags that are sold in shops. They’re used for the food bins and put in our compost bin. Other shop bags are used to put the recyclable plastics in that you take back to the shops and as small rubbish bins for our home that go into the outdoor green bin for rubbish.

We usually remember our own shopping bags but in the times we forget, the bags are used more than once in our home.

And if we live in a climate where we don't wear coats?

@Auburngal

wind 'em up & let 'em go

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

No, it won't help with THE CoL, it will fractionally help individuals struggling due to the CoL. but even then so minimally it's not really worth the BIG FAT FUSS you are making.

You're not even interested in the environmental impact, which concerns me much more than than the financial.

people can choose how to spend their own money @ it's precisely NONE of your business.

Because I go for one thing and end up with 10 items, because dc need bags for school/clubs, because I forget when also remembering everything else on my plate… clearly you’re superior but I would rather buy a bag than stress over remembering a bag all the time. I’ve never lost a child and quite frankly that feels like an achievement.

I read several years ago, the level of bacteria in bags for life, which need regular disinfectant. I'm more surprised by seeing folk in Sainsbury's with half a trolley or more of bottled water.

I usually have a folded up fabric bag in my handbag but all sorts of scenarios arise whereby I might end up buying a carrier bag or two - it's not a big deal and I frequently give nice carrier bags to the food bank as they need strong ones as most of the donations are heavy tins

I don’t carry a handbag

if i know i am going shopping i will take a bag, if i pop in somewhere getting small bits i will try carrying them

i can count on 1 hand how many bags from shops i have bought in a year, but if i need a bag then i will buy one

It is our business- the environmental impact affects us all. It’s really not that hard to have bags available and I don’t mean reuse crappy plastic bags- get decent quality shopping bags and take them shopping and keep a small reusable bag in your handbag for unplanned small shops.
I don’t understand why people don’t take some responsibility for waste and climate change- it’s always someone else’s fault or “my choices don’t make much difference”. On one hand people whinge that it is the fault of big businesses but when those businesses try to encourage change the same people complain about having to pay for bags 🙄

I don’t usually carry a handbag…..should caveat that

I always take a bag everywhere and never buy them

But I’ve just taken a long haul flight and flying again soon … is that okay then OP?

How nice would that be? 😂

I have pockets in most of my trousers.

By the way my previous post isn’t true.. I’m just making a point. I will buy bags when I need them and won’t worry about it on my death bed