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Original poster

I was today years old when I realised bags for life were bags for life 🤯

60 replies

BargainBagger11 · 10/02/2025 09:09

Honestly, I just found out that if your bag for life gets damaged, you can take it back to the supermarket, and they’ll replace it for free! I always thought "bag for life" was just a fancy way of saying "sturdier plastic bag" but no—it's literally for life. How did I not know this?! Have I been throwing them away like an absolute fool all these years?! 😩
Please tell me I'm not the only one who only just figured this out...

OP posts:
RaininSummer · 10/02/2025 10:46

Not sure I know which of my bags came from which shop let alone which would replace them.

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 10/02/2025 10:57

marshmallowfinder · 10/02/2025 09:42

Also "wait, what...?"🙄

Show quote history

totally, right?

AwaitingFreedom · 10/02/2025 10:58

RaininSummer · 10/02/2025 10:46

Not sure I know which of my bags came from which shop let alone which would replace them.

They tend to have the shop's name on them...

They are the thicker plastic carrier bags rather than the really sturdy canvas type ones though. I found this out when the stitching started unravelling at the bottom and they wouldn't replace.

youcannotsaythat · 10/02/2025 11:26

today years old

I must have been living under a rock - I have never heard this phrase before!

Itsrainingloadshere · 10/02/2025 11:38

my nearest Sainsbury’s will only replace the stronger large bags for life with an orange plastic carrier bag now.

I had a newish large bag for life where stitching had failed and asked for a replacement and they offered a 10p plastic one. I explained that it wasn’t even worn out or used much and they gave me a like for like replacement ‘as a one off’.

They definitely did used to replace them for another similar bag though but not any more.

diddl · 10/02/2025 11:52

I replaced one years ago at Asda but they seemed pretty reluctant.

My idea of not usable any more & theirs was obviously different!

Think it was printed on the bag about them replacing them "for life".

mondaytosunday · 10/02/2025 12:01

Yes I did know, but can I remember to bring them? Also I rarely go to the shops as I get home delivery, and have canvas or cotton totes to bring if I do.
I like 'wait, what', and 'I know, right'? Not so keen on 'today years old'.

RaraRachael · 10/02/2025 12:19

sandrapinchedmysandwich · 10/02/2025 09:27

Ugh. Today years old. Hate this phrase. It's as bad as 'I can't even'

Me too - why can't people just say "I've just realised"

I always wonder when a ridiculous new phrase starts appearing, "Who started this nonsense?"

IfOnlyYouWouldListen · 10/02/2025 13:52

Done this for years, but what I find really irritating is the supermarkets that have replaced their bags for life with considerably worse bags - like here we'll take your very useful large handled back and replaced it with a tiny one that if you even think about putting half the stuff you put in the other one the handles will deform and make the bag useless Sainsburys
I may be too passionate about this

SunLift · 10/02/2025 14:09

I worked in a supermarket when bags for life were first introduced, and had completely forgotten about that policy until I saw your thread!

LeftTheWashingOut · 10/02/2025 14:27

@youcannotsaythat me too! I'd assumed it was poor autocorrect... off to google what it means!

Newfoundzestforlife · 10/02/2025 15:06

ellebelli · 10/02/2025 09:42

My children constantly say "wait,what?!" Drives me mad.
They also say lots of other stupid things they hear on YouTube.

I have to grit my teeth when my teenagers talk....it's the constant overuse of the word "like" that gets to me...

RaraRachael · 10/02/2025 15:47

The pupils I taught began virtually every answer to a question with "Wait...."
I used to say "No I will not wait"
I didn't realise it had become a thing like starting every sentence with So and
putting Like in between every other word.

Thank goodness my two grew up before the advent of TikTok and other similar influencing shite.

VUtterlyFedUP · 10/02/2025 16:05

I'm not sure how much bags for life are actually bags for life. I have a lot of M&S nice solid plastic bags for life. M&S now only do crappy paper bags.

I've not yet attempted to go in to change one of these older ones but it strikes me that they must be contractually obliged to give a similar plastic one on the basis it was bought on the understanding they'd replace it with the same type of bag when it wore out. Not a lesser version in paper that will hole and ripe when wet.

Does anyone know what happens if you go to M&S with a worn out plastic bag for life and ask for a like-for-like replacement?

BertieBotts · 10/02/2025 16:08

Is it not written on the bags any more? It always used to be. I moved out of the UK 12 years ago and I swear it was written on them then.

YourWinter · 10/02/2025 17:19

bugalugs45 · 10/02/2025 10:04

They're £1 now , outrageous ! But so seem particularly strong & will outlast all of us 😂

Show quote history

Crikey, and I imagine the usual customers rock up every week without reusable bags and say, “I’d better have six bags to start with…”!

When I worked on checkouts and the thin plastic carrier bags were 5p, lots of people said they reused them as bin liners, but surely not at £1 a bag.

FishPie2 · 10/02/2025 18:17

Googled it with today's date and Asda state they will exchange damaged or broken bags.

P00hsticks · 10/02/2025 18:53

VUtterlyFedUP · 10/02/2025 16:05

I'm not sure how much bags for life are actually bags for life. I have a lot of M&S nice solid plastic bags for life. M&S now only do crappy paper bags.

I've not yet attempted to go in to change one of these older ones but it strikes me that they must be contractually obliged to give a similar plastic one on the basis it was bought on the understanding they'd replace it with the same type of bag when it wore out. Not a lesser version in paper that will hole and ripe when wet.

Does anyone know what happens if you go to M&S with a worn out plastic bag for life and ask for a like-for-like replacement?

They can't replace like for like because the don't stock those plastic bags anymore. As I posted a bit earlier in the thread, I tried recently and all they could offer me in exchange was one of their 'strong' paper bags...

ticktickticktickBOOM · 10/02/2025 18:58

AnAlpacaForChristmasPleaseSanta · 10/02/2025 09:38

I quite like today years old, I can't even think of why you wouldn't.

Show quote history

Perhaps because it makes no sense whatsoever?

ShowOfHands · 10/02/2025 19:04

RaraRachael · 10/02/2025 15:47

The pupils I taught began virtually every answer to a question with "Wait...."
I used to say "No I will not wait"
I didn't realise it had become a thing like starting every sentence with So and
putting Like in between every other word.

Thank goodness my two grew up before the advent of TikTok and other similar influencing shite.

My students no longer answer questions with the word "no". "HELL naaaah" in a ridiculous accent is their preference. I simply ask again until they speak politely and appropriately.

ChompandaGrazia · 10/02/2025 19:11

It was the big deal with them when they launched them long before the bag charges came in.

gamerchick · 10/02/2025 19:13

I knew, I just can't be bothered to take any back.

VUtterlyFedUP · 10/02/2025 19:32

They can't replace like for like because the don't stock those plastic bags anymore. As I posted a bit earlier in the thread, I tried recently and all they could offer me in exchange was one of their 'strong' paper bags...

My point was that they can't do that because it was part of the contract - you pay £1 or whatever it was and they will replace it with another one (the same type of plastic bag) when it fails. It was the terms of the purchase. So if they now only make better bags (more expensive plastic ones) or much worse bags (paper) they should give you a more expensive plastic one.

It's like if you say to someone if you pay me £50 today and next on a date of your choosing month I'll come and paint your house; if you pay them £50 and next month you ask them to come to paint your house, they can't say to you sorry I am not painting houses any more but I'll hoover your floor. that wasn't your agreement; you didn't agree to pay £50 for some low level hoovering. The agreement was £50 for painting when you choose. They must paint your house or they have broken the contract agreement. If they arent going to paint your house they need to give you the £50 back.

so M&S should either give an actual plastic bag even if now it costs more or refund people the cost of the plastic bag whatever it was.

AnAlpacaForChristmasPleaseSanta · 10/02/2025 19:40

ticktickticktickBOOM · 10/02/2025 18:58

Perhaps because it makes no sense whatsoever?

Show quote history

Neither do posts that have nothing to do with the point of the thread.

Manchesterbythesea · 10/02/2025 19:47

Never knew this. When bags for life came out first I thought (briefly!) that you had to use the super valu one in super valu and the Lidl one in Lidl etc. I was young then! 😳