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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think I don't really need forcing into caring for the environment?

46 replies

madetobeamum · 08/12/2008 08:47

I already care!

I went to Asda the other day and I had forgotten my resusable fetching dotty bags which I had paid £2 each for at Asda a week before. It wasn't that I forgot as such, it was that I finished work and went to pick my baby up, and took him and my mum to Asda on the way home (mum was coming to ours). I needed baby milk as he was starting to get a bit hungry and I had run out of cartons. I also got the tea, baby vests and a few other bits while I was there- so quite a bit, really.

When I got to the check out the cashier begrudgingly gave us one plastic bag. This was quickly filled and then all the stuff started going through and not getting packed. Everytime we asked her for a bag she huffed and puffed and gave us one. This was really slowing us down as she wouldn't even give us one bag each to be packing even though there was two of us. She was also letting things build up ridiculously before she would give us a bag. The baby started crying his eyes out and she was still going at snail pace refusing to give bags out.

We asked her why and she said she can only give bags out one at a time otherwise she 'gets it in the neck'.

I think if she was only going to give them out one at a time she should at least keep a check on when we need another one and actually give us one.

She said that soon bags would be 25p each and so I said I wouldn't be shopping there again and she said it's a government thing.

The next time I shopped there with my bought bags they were giving plastic bags out willy nilly. When I asked why they said they had run out of bags to buy so they had to give them out.

Consistency?

I am happy to buy reusable bags to save the environment but I don't want FORCING into yet another thing by this nanny state.

Morrisons are giving reusable bags out for free apparently, so why aren't Asda? If they're going to stop the plastic bags, they should give the reusable bags out for free. Or post out vouchers so that you can take them and get free ones, and when you've used your vouchers you have to buy the bags.

It's money grabbing is what it is!

OP posts:

Simplysally · 08/12/2008 15:28

Go and live in Greece or Turkey - I was there recently and they've not caught onto the no-bag thing. I bought a "leather" shopping bag in Turkey and they put it into a plastic bag (may have been a good service thing though)! I got odd looks when I said 'no, I have a bag already' in some shops.

I think in general it's a good thing as we will change our habits and may even buy less if plastic bags aren't readibly available.

Ivykaty44 · 08/12/2008 15:31

Ask to see asda bins and see how much food they throw out.......

If supermarkets made the plastic bags biodegradable you could use them as bin bags and save the planet.

Charging though for plastic bags is a money making scheme - me thinks {wink]

herbietea · 08/12/2008 15:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

WifeandMotherof4 · 08/12/2008 15:42

Just a question OP, Will you forget your bags again???

Simplysally · 08/12/2008 15:50

It's only about 20 years since shops stopped charging for bags [old emoticon]. I can remember my Nan taking her stout shoppers t'market and all the fruit/veg went in the bottom with fish or meat in the other bag.

Mind using a plastic bag then was the equivalent of serving canned food (bought from shops) to your family .

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 08/12/2008 15:51

Why is paying for a bag in WHS stupid??

I really can't understand why you think you deserve to get given a bag without having to pay for it. I remember when the bags became free to start with. Before that, I remember my mum using a shopping trolley [shudder]. It's only recently we've become so lazy and greedy wanting free this and that.

MorrisZapp · 08/12/2008 15:57

lol, 'we pay for the bags and they haven't reduced the price of the groceries'

The bags cost (I'm guessing) perhaps 1.5 pence each to the supermarket. You can fit, say, ten items into each bag.

What kind of reduction would you like to see in the cost of groceries to reflect this?

This whole debate would end if the supermarkets would just grow a pair and stop providing free bags, full stop. You wouldn't go swimming and get annoyed at having to take your own towel - why does anybody think they are entitled to free bags?

nappyaddict · 08/12/2008 16:11

I think WHS are one of the shops who are donating the cost of carrier bags to a charity aren't they?

MorrisZapp · 08/12/2008 16:29

M&S donate every penny to charity - the wood people or something.

MorrisZapp · 08/12/2008 16:32

Simplysally - I get funny looks on a daily basis in this country for beinging my own bag!

It seems that shop staff still have that pavlovian response to grab a bag and start stuffing it before you can stop them.

Also, when they do understand, often they say 'oh, that's no problem' as if somehow they're doing you a favour by allowing you to use their own bag!!

This will take years to sink down to grass roots level. In most of the shops I go to plastic bag use is still very much the norm. I wish they'd follow the Irish model. It would save me from huffing and puffing at people in supermarkets anyway

WifeandMotherof4 · 08/12/2008 17:11

In China it costs 16p per plastic bag... considering a take away for four is only £4, it's quite a lot!!!

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 08/12/2008 18:17

"the wood people" Are they like a little community of peg dolls? That's the image I have in my mind

BalloonSlayer · 08/12/2008 18:35

I have bought some of these as Christmas presents.

There is an M&S attached to our local petrol station. It's tempting to buy a couple of goodies when you pay for your fuel but then you have to pay for a bag unless you have the nerve to keep the queue waiting while you saunter back to the car to get a bag.

When I get my ONYA bag deployed in my handbag - and why the feck am I waiting till Christmas? - I shan't get caught out again I hope.

BalloonSlayer · 08/12/2008 18:38

I saw someone buy a bag recently.

It came in a polythene bag.

Then it was placed into a cotton bag with the poncey designer's name on it.

Then it was put into the store's carrier bag.

needmorecoffee · 08/12/2008 18:51

yabu

nappyaddict · 08/12/2008 23:09

I went to M&S the other day. I said I didn't need a bag as the car was only outside. I had a lemon tart, tub of cream and 3 boxes of chocolates. She goes oh i'll just put these chocs in one anyway for you to make it easier. What's the point of charging for bags then giving them away for free when people say they don't want one!

onager · 08/12/2008 23:22

I have reusuable bags which I take with me if I know I am going to be shopping because I like the handles better.

In morrisons the other day they insisted I take a new reusable bag. I said I didn't need it "look I have reusable bags here!", but they insisted quite forcefully and I was too tired to argue.
The woman in front of me had left the checkout, but was summoned back to take one like a naughty child.

I think this is all getting a bit silly now.

Linnet · 08/12/2008 23:26

My local WHSmith doesn't charge for carrier bags, is this a new thing that is just starting with them?

WE have Tesco Jute bags and I also have two Jute bags from our library. Also have carrier bags which I keep meaning to pop a couple in my handbag for just in case but always forget then end up in M&S where they charge me 5p, oh well.

ilovemydog · 08/12/2008 23:30

Oh FFS! Look, I recycle. I take my plastic to the collection point. I even recycle tetra packs. I use cotton diapers on the kids.

But plastic bags are something like 1% of land fill. I object to supermarkets making an issue of this when their plastic packaging in comparasion is a bigger issue landfill wise.

MsSparkle · 09/12/2008 10:51

ilovemydog a lot of unnessessary oil is used up to make plastic bags. They may only be a small percentage on landfill sites but i would have thought that as we are trying to reserve as much oil as possible, because there isn't an endless supply, we would all want to use an alternative to plastic bags.

Plastic bags are not nessessary, we could use cloth/string even paper bags instead. I think they have the right idea about charging for plastic bags, because people are so wasteful with them, but unfortunatly supermarkets etc are charging for the wrong reasons and that's what is getting everyones back up.

I think if stores charge for plastic bags, they should be donating the money to environmental causes. Pocketing the money themselves isn't doing anyone any favours except themselves. They have the right idea, they are just going the wrong way about it and i think people wouldn't be so pissed off at being charged if they knew the money was for the environment.

ilovemydog · 09/12/2008 10:55

Plastic bags are almost wholly symbolic.

Yes, I agree - manufacturing plastic is a massive drain on resources, but the point is that with all the unecessary packaging inherent in a typical shopping trip, plastic bags seems to be an odd place to start...

It's a cost issue dressed up as 'concern' for the environment...

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