Overpriced paper and plastic bags at supermarkets

[ladykale]

In the uk we’ve reached a point where everyday price gouging and rip offs have been normalised.

10p plastic bags were supposedly introduced for the environment - yet even piece of fruit and veg is wrapped in unnecessary plastic!

now stores such as M&S charge you 40p for a paper bag that can barely stay intact to hold a bag of shopping, then 80p if you actually need a plastic bag that won’t disintegrate in the rain

absolutely ridiculous!

It's not about the price of the bag. It's a deliberate disincentive so that you bring your own bag/basket/box/wheely bag.

If you forget one, which we all do, you have options - there's often a cardboard box around you can use (or ask the staff), you can wheel a trolley direct to your car or bike panniers or you do the juggling act that is often observed.

I remember when bags were free and people would take a bag every single time, even for one item.

Until you hit perimenopause and you forget your own name, your phone, your PIN number, your keys, AND the bags near the front door....

When it breaks- return it and they give you a new one. Hence bag for life. You aren’t meant to keep buying new ones.
Paper ones are pointless I agree.

All my bags live in the boot of the car except for a few little pocket ones that are clipped onto various handbags and stuffed in coat pockets so I have them for if I forget to grab one from the boot.

i am forgetful and tend to get easily distracted so I have multiples of everything clipped, pinned or strategically placed, with reminders on my phone, post its positioned where I see them etc to make up for it. You either have to find ways to organise yourself so you don’t need to buy bags or you need to accept that you have to pay what shops are asking.

What sort of dire emergency could possibly require you to leave and go and buy a plastic bag?

I use carrier bags to wrap my Vinted parcels but now I begrudge a 40p bag for a £1 item. I’m going to end up using bin bags.

Ah I mean I wasn’t planning on shopping and needed to get something. Ie at say airport or picked up large pharmacy prescription for family not planned for.
otherwise I always have a bag

The one I don’t like is Waterstones who only have paper bags (that you have to pay for). I usually bring a bag with me but occasionally I’ll forget and then if it’s raining there’s no way to protect your books from the water in a paper bag, so it stops you from buying anything in the shop!

That’s true. Also the amount of waste produced at the back of the store. Acres and acres of plastic wrap on goods deliveries coming in everyday.

They obviously need to charge more if people are still buying them.

Take your own bags. Use a box off the shelf in the shop.

Paper is an incredibly resource heavy industry. It uses huge amounts of energy, water and chemicals and massive factories to produce and recycle. Too many people can't see past 'it's not plastic so I can use as much of it as I like', which isn't true.

For a whole weekly shop I take all of my own bags, but no I don’t carry a plastic bag around with me 100% of the time, so if I have to pop into the shops after work to get a bag or two of shopping I have to pay.

I wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t for the fact each item I pick up is covered in unnecessary plastic & I don’t know how the original 10p bag charge for the environment has turned into 40p for a paper bag / 80p for a plastic bag > now they’re just using it for extra margin! that’s the part that annoys me!

I’m surprised on this thread that people don’t mind obvious price gouging when there’s otherwise no attempt to be environmentally friendly - why on earth are they allowed to sell bananas, apples and peppers wrapped in plastic?

It's not price gouging to profiteer - it's deliberately charging way over the odds for something in order prevent people from buying them.

Do you take a handbag or rucksack or tote bag to to work? Can you keep a couple of folded up resuable bags in your work bag? They come in little pouches sometimes, or just fold up a bag for life or two.

The excessive plastic used in packaging food unnecessarily is a good point though. I wish supermarkets would have an area with recycling bins behind the checkouts where people could re-pack their shopping and leave their packaging behind.

Like many other here, we have bags for life in the boot of the car, so they're handy when we go shopping.

I do disagree with being charged for a paper bag, though. There is no logic; I'm not killing a sea turtle be using a paper bag, so why am I being financially penalised for it? Back when the bag charges first came in, the supermarkets put the bag charges to charity; I believe they are just topping up their profits these days.

I always take my own here, and have a small one folded up in the bottom of my bag for unexpected purchases.

Shops legally have to charge for bags, and you have to respect their choice of what they provide, whether paper or plastic. If not, again always carry your own.

I think Tesco does have a plastic recycling area. We tend to use products then return the packaging itms

I think that’s fine - it really is to encourage you to bring your own! And yes I agree there’s still far too much packaging on food but this step has made a big difference. I actually find the quality pretty good - those plastic bag for life last for ages and I’ve hit a nice selection of fabric ones I use fir loads of things (my DD knicked a few when going to uni too).

M and S paper clothes bags are much cheaper than the food bags. Makes no sense.

I put bags for life on front seat of car. If I forget then as I’m scatty I accept the charge

I used to end up with loads plastic bags.
Rare now

Take a reusable bag.

Plastic wrap on food is often there to keep it fresh and undamaged after being flown halfway across the world, if you want unwrapped veg try a farmer's market not M&S and buy local, seasonal food.

I agree OP...I think 40 p for a paper bag is outrageous. I do tend to take food shopping bags with me, but like many people, I often forget.

I also think that if one is buying (expensive) clothes, a bag should be gratis.

I think the OP’s point was that when this was introduced the bag charge was 10p and now it’s 40p+

Even if plastic bags are made from recycled materials the cost to make them has increased due to gas/oil/electric going up, the cost of transportation, printing etc. I don’t think shops are making a profit on the bags. In answer to your question, OP

edited as I tagged the wrong person!

If they're not clean enough to be putting clothes in, I wouldn't be putting food in them.

@ladykale

you're the type of person why the charges exist.

take a bag with you or don't complain a bag costs money. It's not exactly 'new' now is it?!. Plenty of time to have learnt to remember a bag or accept the charge.