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.

@Needmorelego

they all do it, don't they!! M&S have lovely fresh veg on theirs & brilliant 'double handles/straps' one for holding by hand & one for slinging over your shoulder. Love them.

I usually buy one when I go into Sainsbury's as I buy some basic clothes (leggings/dicks etc) in there & like a clean bag.

I get Tesco shopping delivered (no bags) and get bits for a friend & bits from other places when I'm there and give them to him in a bag for life, in turn he uses it & then passes things onto his Dad who uses the bag then gives it to one of his grandchildren who then take bits to school in them
& then they get reused at school etc etc or I fill them and give them to the local charity & they reuse them

nags are used many times, by many people & so I'm happy to have the joy of buying them & starting the chain off.

“Pack at the car”

What if I walk to the shop, does that out weigh my bag purchase?

I just see it as a tax on thick people.

I never take a handbag if I am driving places. I often go to the shop on my way back from the gym and sometimes I only have my phone with me. I also started leaving my bag at home when going into town (on a bus) wearing my winter coat - it has huge pockets and seems easier to just take a phone, keys and a card and not bother with the bag.

@Just4thisthreadtoday

I usually buy one when I go into Sainsbury's as I buy some basic clothes (leggings/dicks etc)

I mean, I think I’d put my dicks in a bag?

I get the bulk of my shopping delivered so no worry about bags. But if I nip in after work 9 times out of 10 I either forget the bags or leave them in the car so will end up buying a new bag if I have too much to carry.

Why were you buying a new coat from a retailer OP? I'm fairly certain the charity shops have coats that you could have bought without contributing to the environmental issues caused by the clothing trade. Also, given the cost of living it would have been so much cheaper for you. (Obviously if you were actually buying a coat from a charity shop, I'm ok with that.)

Sometimes I will nip into the supermarket while out doing other things or for one specific item but end up buying extra things.....then I need to buy a bag. You can guarantee my fold up shopping bag is always in another handbag as well!

If people want to buy bags, it's up to them. I really couldn't care less. I'm sure we're using a lot less on average and with all the recycling we do in this country I don't think a few persistent offenders will make that much difference.

I nearly always have bags on me, especially for larger shops, but occasionally I've been caught out and had to buy one or two. Not a biggie really.

Also, when buying new clothes, I've purchased a bag to keep the new clothing clean, rather than using a bag that may have been previously used for food items etc. These bags are always recycled afterwards though.

I end up buying a bag if I pop into the shops on the way home. I ultimately end up using old shopping bags to take soft plastic recycling to the recycling point at my local Tesco.

I don't know why you are so het up about how other people are spending their money and what they are using their bags for. You must have very little worries in your life at the moment.

I dunno op I guess some of just have a life x

The planet is fucked anyway. Enjoy your bags while you can.

On the off chance that I pop into a shop when I wasn't planning to? Yeah - not going to happen!

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

Hangs head in shame

When I need a bag, I buy one.
Full stop.

I buy bags occasionally. Usually it's one of the following reasons.

A) I've forgotten bags, happens rarely as I usually meal plan before going shopping but has happened a few times. Especially if I'm shopping after the school run and I've rushed to get out the house and forgotten them.

B) unplanned shopping stop off. Usually with DD in tow. I wasn't planning on shopping but DD (age 3) needed a wee/ more trousers than i packed and we have a wander round the shop whilst we are there.

C) I could do with some bags (that are more disposable to me than my large heavy duty Aldi/ Lidl bags). For example I've just sorted out all DDs old clothes and pants to donate to nursery as spares and I know I won't get the bags back. I'm decluttering and need bags to take to the charity shop/ give to people who are buying on FB marketplace.

The ones who annoy me are the people who steal the bags for life.

How pathetic do you have to be if you can afford the 30p and yet steal the bag.

I did a big shop the other week and kicked myself that I'd forgotten to put the bloody bags in the car. Lo and behold when I got back to my car, I spotted someone else's bag of bags left in a trolley. It felt a bit grubby, like trying on someone else's undies, but I tried to take it that lady luck was smiling down on me. It was kind of interesting to pull out bag after bag and see where the former owner liked to do their shopping. Mainly Body Care and Next.

well I dont have a car and cant carry a bag, so for me it is have a carrier bag stuffed in my pocket all day, getting in the way and falling out, or buy another bag on the way home when I pass the shop.

Sometimes I don't take enough bags. What I intend to buy changes. I was doing something else and decided to pop in to a shop. Etc etc

There are many reasons why people still buy bags.

It would be naive to think no one would buy a bag again!

If you're allowed to buy a bag then so am I...

OP the bottom line is people are willing to save the planet as long as it doesn't inconvenience themselves, after all carrying empty bag is soooo heavy and after all they are already carrying a stanley cup and a phone.

I have ADHD. Poor planning, executive functioning and impulse buying don't lend themselves to perfect bag usage no matter how hard I try. Rejection sensitive means I worry about being judged.

But I am intuitive and can spot a judgy cunt at twenty paces. So swings and roundabouts really.

I keep forgetting. I’ve mainly shopped online since the first lockdown but even before that when I went every week forgot to bring bags, or put them in the boot and then forgot to take them into the shop.