5p charge for plastic bags from October 2015 to cut usage
Discussion
I learned a few days ago that ministers are intending to introduce a 5p tax for each plastic bag used from October 2015 onwards in an effort to cut down usage of bags by shoppers.
So how do they expect us to carry our shopping to the car without such bags, or is this just one more sneaky way to add a 12% tax on the average shopping bag.
Yes I appreciate that we can buy a bag for life, and my wife bought one, but it lasted for less than 3 months, so not exactly for life before we had to throw it away. And yet we use the disposable bags which decompose in the waste paper bins for all manner of rubbish so they're hardly wasted.
And if indeed this fee is supposedly to reduce waste of natural resources, why do government officials continue to jet around the world and stay in hotels in 1st class luxury, all paid by the UK taxpayer, to attend pointless political meetings, when they could quite easily have attended these overseas meetings using a video link?
If it is to reduce the national debt then why do they continue to give millions away to other countries when we really can't afford to do so because we're nearly broke, and why do the current government persist in bombing other countries at huge expense to us UK taxpayers when they acknowledge that we are still in huge debt that is nearly unsustainable. It wouldn't take much to push us over the edge if Russian and the Chinese moved their money out of the UK.
If recycling was of a major concern why don't we do what most other countries in the EU do and collect the rubbish on a daily basis before delivering and sorting it in a centralised area dedicated to waste management, instead of insisting on all manner of silly bins, bags and two week collections - makes me wonder who are the shareholders making a fortune in the companies manufacturing the waste bins?
I'm all for saving the world by making realistic cutbacks, but not when the people at the top who are dictating the terms and conditions, are quite blatantly ignoring their own propaganda, and squandering our resources without a care in the world.
Is this a rant, well no, I'm just pointing out the obvious, and I bet that not many know that the EU jobsworths move their headquarters twice a year at massive expense to all EU taxpayers, and why haven't the accounts been signed off by their accountants?
So how do they expect us to carry our shopping to the car without such bags, or is this just one more sneaky way to add a 12% tax on the average shopping bag.
Yes I appreciate that we can buy a bag for life, and my wife bought one, but it lasted for less than 3 months, so not exactly for life before we had to throw it away. And yet we use the disposable bags which decompose in the waste paper bins for all manner of rubbish so they're hardly wasted.
And if indeed this fee is supposedly to reduce waste of natural resources, why do government officials continue to jet around the world and stay in hotels in 1st class luxury, all paid by the UK taxpayer, to attend pointless political meetings, when they could quite easily have attended these overseas meetings using a video link?
If it is to reduce the national debt then why do they continue to give millions away to other countries when we really can't afford to do so because we're nearly broke, and why do the current government persist in bombing other countries at huge expense to us UK taxpayers when they acknowledge that we are still in huge debt that is nearly unsustainable. It wouldn't take much to push us over the edge if Russian and the Chinese moved their money out of the UK.
If recycling was of a major concern why don't we do what most other countries in the EU do and collect the rubbish on a daily basis before delivering and sorting it in a centralised area dedicated to waste management, instead of insisting on all manner of silly bins, bags and two week collections - makes me wonder who are the shareholders making a fortune in the companies manufacturing the waste bins?
I'm all for saving the world by making realistic cutbacks, but not when the people at the top who are dictating the terms and conditions, are quite blatantly ignoring their own propaganda, and squandering our resources without a care in the world.
Is this a rant, well no, I'm just pointing out the obvious, and I bet that not many know that the EU jobsworths move their headquarters twice a year at massive expense to all EU taxpayers, and why haven't the accounts been signed off by their accountants?
Edited by rich888 on Thursday 6th August 00:25
rich888 said:
Yes I appreciate that we can buy a bag for life, and my wife bought one, but it lasted for less than 3 months, so not exactly for life before we had to throw it away.
You're supposed to take them back to the retailer who will replace them FoC when they wear out. That's the "for life" bit.We have the same policy here in Hong Kong it was introduced a while back for Supermarkets and then everywhere earlier this year. I must admit it's been a great success I rarely use plastic bags at all anymore. Only when I forget, or when I pick up something I didn't expect. Annoyed me at first now its normal. Just to use for carrying to the car is a forgotten luxury, only in that I don't use a car.
Mojooo said:
Bottom line is it will cut carrier bag wasteage.
I believe it is already the law in wales and scotland.
It works well in Scotland. 5p isn't much money, but it has prompted people to think about their usage. I believe it is already the law in wales and scotland.
Having just Googled it, The Guardian claim bag usage has dropped by 80% since the law was introduced.
Edited by Driver101 on Thursday 6th August 01:39
Last time I visited Scotland I was charged 5p for a paper bag. Now, the plastic bag bit I can understand (not agree with, but it at least makes some sense), but paper? I thought that was both recyclable and decomposes easily, so why are we being discouraged from switching to the better option?
Also not sure what I'm supposed to use to line my small bins after this change comes in; I've not seen any suitably sized bin liners anywhere, and even if they are available, this basically means we have to pay (nice inflated prices, no doubt), for one-time-use bin liners, instead of reusing already-used carrier bags as bin liners. Well, actually I'll probably keep using carrier bags as I doubt I'll find liners for less than 5p each.
So all this will make no difference to my habits whatsoever (I already use bags for life for the main weekly shopping trip, any carrier bags I do get at other times are used as bin liners/reused for more shopping), other than costing me money and annoying me. Maybe it'll do good with people who didn't reuse their bags at all, but for people like me, it just feels like a nice moneymaking exercise...
Also not sure what I'm supposed to use to line my small bins after this change comes in; I've not seen any suitably sized bin liners anywhere, and even if they are available, this basically means we have to pay (nice inflated prices, no doubt), for one-time-use bin liners, instead of reusing already-used carrier bags as bin liners. Well, actually I'll probably keep using carrier bags as I doubt I'll find liners for less than 5p each.
So all this will make no difference to my habits whatsoever (I already use bags for life for the main weekly shopping trip, any carrier bags I do get at other times are used as bin liners/reused for more shopping), other than costing me money and annoying me. Maybe it'll do good with people who didn't reuse their bags at all, but for people like me, it just feels like a nice moneymaking exercise...
Bags for life make you look like a granny or a planet hugging loony.
I collect carrier bags in the bottom kitchen drawer/beside the fridge/wherever. Once a week, put the collected bags in the boot of the car, under the carpet next to the spare wheel. When doing the shopping, use the scanner zapper laser guns and pack as you go. Once you get in the habit, the cycle means you've always got bags with you and you rarely need to buy more. It's a good habit for Aldi/Lidl too.
They already charge 5rupees (5p) for a carrier here, and rarely does anyone takes them up on it. For all the rubbish and s
t laying about, you hardly ever see a plastic bag.
I collect carrier bags in the bottom kitchen drawer/beside the fridge/wherever. Once a week, put the collected bags in the boot of the car, under the carpet next to the spare wheel. When doing the shopping, use the scanner zapper laser guns and pack as you go. Once you get in the habit, the cycle means you've always got bags with you and you rarely need to buy more. It's a good habit for Aldi/Lidl too.
They already charge 5rupees (5p) for a carrier here, and rarely does anyone takes them up on it. For all the rubbish and s
t laying about, you hardly ever see a plastic bag. rich888 said:
I learned a few days ago that ministers are intending to introduce a 5p tax for each plastic bag used from October 2015 onwards in an effort to cut down usage of bags by shoppers.
So how do they expect us to carry our shopping to the car without such bags, or is this just one more sneaky way to add a 12% tax on the average shopping bag.
If it's a 12% tax you need to do a better job of packing you bags. 5p on every 42p of shopping is one pot noodle per bag!So how do they expect us to carry our shopping to the car without such bags, or is this just one more sneaky way to add a 12% tax on the average shopping bag.
Options
1. the plastic bag for life at 10/20p
2. Supermarkets may start using paper bags instead which will help the UK forestry commission is they will plant more good all round
3. Use the nice Waitrose Hessian bags
4. Order food shopping online it's delivered to your door no bags needed as is a full on time saver.
5. It's been the case for Years in Wales
1. the plastic bag for life at 10/20p
2. Supermarkets may start using paper bags instead which will help the UK forestry commission is they will plant more good all round
3. Use the nice Waitrose Hessian bags
4. Order food shopping online it's delivered to your door no bags needed as is a full on time saver.
5. It's been the case for Years in Wales
rich888 said:
I learned a few days ago that ministers are intending to introduce a 5p tax for each plastic bag used from October 2015 onwards in an effort to cut down usage of bags by shoppers.
Good.rich888 said:
So how do they expect us to carry our shopping to the car without such bags, or is this just one more sneaky way to add a 12% tax on the average shopping bag.
They expect you to re-use the bags you purchase, use a bag for life, or use (shock horror) other things - like cardboard boxes, plastic stackable boxes kept in the car, etc.rich888 said:
Yes I appreciate that we can buy a bag for life, and my wife bought one, but it lasted for less than 3 months, so not exactly for life before we had to throw it away. And yet we use the disposable bags which decompose in the waste paper bins for all manner of rubbish so they're hardly wasted.
As already covered in the thread you take the broken bag back and get a new one.rich888 said:
And if indeed this fee is supposedly to reduce waste of natural resources, why do government officials continue to jet around the world and stay in hotels in 1st class luxury, all paid by the UK taxpayer, to attend pointless political meetings, when they could quite easily have attended these overseas meetings using a video link?
Have you ever tried to have a serious meeting via a video conference? It's crap. I get more done flying to London for 2 days in meetings than I'd get done in weeks of video conferences, unless you're a bond villain. rich888 said:
If it is to reduce the national debt then why do they continue to give millions away to other countries when we really can't afford to do so because we're nearly broke, and why do the current government persist in bombing other countries at huge expense to us UK taxpayers when they acknowledge that we are still in huge debt that is nearly unsustainable. It wouldn't take much to push us over the edge if Russian and the Chinese moved their money out of the UK.
I agree. We shouldn't give huge donations to countries with Space programs. The tax certainly isn't to reduce national debt, however. rich888 said:
If recycling was of a major concern why don't we do what most other countries in the EU do and collect the rubbish on a daily basis before delivering and sorting it in a centralised area dedicated to waste management, instead of insisting on all manner of silly bins, bags and two week collections - makes me wonder who are the shareholders making a fortune in the companies manufacturing the waste bins?
I think we should also reintroduce the bottle charge - buy a beer from a shop, pay 20p bottle charge. This would mean all bottles are recycled without having to collect them - people will BRING them back to the shop! rich888 said:
I'm all for saving the world by making realistic cutbacks, but not when the people at the top who are dictating the terms and conditions, are quite blatantly ignoring their own propaganda, and squandering our resources without a care in the world.
We should make realistic cutbacks. When faced with obvious non-compliance, as is the case with most people using bags and throwing them away every time they go to the shop, it also makes sense to try to change this. Or should we just do nothing, because China are building so many coal power stations each week our efforts pale into insignificance?menguin said:
Or should we just do nothing, because China are building so many coal power stations each week our efforts pale into insignificance?
I know you're trying to make a point through sarcasm, but this IS a valid thing. For every bag of recycling I fill, there are half a billion people in China and India chucking their rubbish behind the house, burning tyres, and drinking "keep trade unfair" coffee. About time. It works fine in loads of other countries. There were 8.5 billion single use plastic bags from supermarkets last year.
http://www.wrap.org.uk/2015_carrier_bag_figures
8.5 billion!
http://www.wrap.org.uk/2015_carrier_bag_figures
8.5 billion!
It is just a revenue raiser, but after decades of greenwashing the population are going to swallow it hook, line, sinker, rod, angler, and rollup.
Now it will be less convenient to pop into the shops when on foot so I will drive (even more revenue) and I will have to pay for binbags - plastic bags that go straight into landfill.
Now it will be less convenient to pop into the shops when on foot so I will drive (even more revenue) and I will have to pay for binbags - plastic bags that go straight into landfill.
It's just more green madness, most if not all bags are bio degradable, as I found out when I cleaned out my works locker, all the goods were surrounded by very small pieces of plastic, no sign of the plastic bag I put them in, so the long term effect on the environment is minimal,
it appears strange to me to charge you for a bag that will bio degrade, to put goods that may be covered in none bio degradable plastic.
it appears strange to me to charge you for a bag that will bio degrade, to put goods that may be covered in none bio degradable plastic.
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