To think paying for a paper bag is silly?

27 replies

Sozzels · 22/06/2024 22:18

I noticed in one retailer today different sized paper bags are different charges. 10p, 12p and 15p. Why? It’s paper and recyclable, all those bags are good for is one use and then they rip. I understand charging for plastic as it doesn’t recycle and probably costs more to make but where is the logic in charging for paper bags.

AIBU?

OP posts:

PrimaDoner · 22/06/2024 23:46

Needmorelego · 22/06/2024 23:10

There's a factory somewhere that makes the bags and I doubt all the staff there are working for free 😂
The retailer has to purchase the bags and pay for their name to be printed on them.
They could either -
Put prices on all stock up to cover the costs
or
Charge 30p or whatever to cover the costs.
Take your own bag from home if you don't want to pay.

Ofc they cost money but until fairly recently all bags were free. I bet they didn’t reduce prices on groceries when they started charging for bags

TheTripThatWasnt · 22/06/2024 23:57

altmember · 22/06/2024 22:33

They charge for them because they can. And that's only because of the levy on plastic bags that was introduced. Which hasn't worked at all, just given the supermarkets another healthy revenue stream. There's way more plastic going into modern reusable carrier bags compared to old fashioned plastic bags, and most of them still end up getting chucked away.

Single use plastic bag use dropped 97% in the year after the charge came in (and it was only 5p then). Yes, some bags for life get chucked, but the vast majority are used over and over.
Supermarkets charge more now because the bags are much better (and get used more) and probably to deter excess purchase (of bags). They have to give some money from bag sales to good causes too (retailers over a certain size).

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