Carrier bags from supermarkets will cost 5p each next month

[dutchman]

From next month, shoppers who enter large retailers may want to take reusable carrier bags with them as the Government imposes a blanket 5p charge on each one used.



Retailers that employ more than 250 staff nationwide will have to charge for each carrier bag from October 5, but staff and customers may face confusion, as many items are exempt.

For example, bags solely used to contain wholly or partly unwrapped food such as loose fruit and vegetables won't carry a charge, according to the guidelines.

The same can be said for live aquatic creatures along with razor blades and knives. Meanwhile, bags intended to be used solely to contain uncooked fish or fish products, meat or meat products or poultry or poultry products are also exempt.

This could lead to confusion at the tills as the quirks are understood and digested in the coming months.

The move from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is aimed at stopping the unnecessary use of plastic carrier bags – and tonnes of litter they produce each year, which in turn damages wildlife.

It is hoped it will encourage people to reuse them or buy 'bags for life.' Last year, 8.5billion plastic bags were dished out at British supermarkets alone, a 200million increase on a year earlier.

This is the equivalent of nearly 150 per person. It would mean the average person would see £7.50 added to their food shop over the year, if charged for each bag used.

Similar 5p charges are already in place across Scotland and Northern Ireland, although critics have questioned why the scheme does not extend to small and medium-sized stores.

The Government argues it is to reduce the administrative burden on small and medium-sized businesses. They can however charge on a voluntary basis if they wish.

Ministers have also been accused of a tax grab after it emerged VAT will apply to sales of bags.

This means the Treasury will pocket almost 1p for each one sold and estimates show it stands to make around £19million a year.

I'd like to bet that the incidence of food poisoning soars as salmonella is spread from one carrier bag full of shopping to the next!

[rebbonk]

I'd like to bet that the incidence of food poisoning soars as salmonella is spread from one carrier bag full of shopping to the next!

The law of unintended consequences! and it'll cost the UK heavily.

I wonder how long before they try charging me extra on the bags I use to clean up after my dog?

[rebbonk]

[dutchman]

Not one person asked for a bag while I was in Morrison's today. Well, except me. I asked for the fresh meat to put in a small bag like they're supposed to do without being asked.

Lloyds chemist's is also charging for bags in spite of prescription drugs being exempt.

For those who don't already know you can 100 carrier bags wholesale for a £1, or buy tie-handle bin-liners which perform exactly the same function.

[rebbonk]

Lloyds chemist's is also charging for bags in spite of prescription drugs being exempt.

I think we'll see several little pockets of greed like this.

[dutchman]

5p shopping bag charge causing supermarkets to 'security tag' baskets



Thefts of shopping baskets in supermarkets across Coventry and Warwickshire is expected to rise, according to a new report from a retail industry security firm.

Following the introduction of the new 5p carrier bag charge, shoppers are being urged not to walk off with supermarket baskets in a bid to make their journeys to and from stores more simple.

Tesco stores up and down the country have started to put security tags on their baskets after shoppers began stealing them.

A spokesperson for the supermarket giant - which has numerous stores in Coventry and Warwickshire - said: "We need to keep baskets for customers who come and shop in the stores.

"It’s not a nationwide thing. It’s down to the individual store and what works best for their customers.

"We’re always working to provide the best service we can for our customers and this includes making sure baskets are available for shoppers.

"In some cases it’s been necessary to attach security tags to baskets to prevent them from being stolen."

According to the report, major supermarkets have already ordered thousands of extra wire baskets in anticipation of more of them going missing as shoppers turn to theft rather than pay for plastic bags.

When the ‘bag tax’ was first introduced in Wales and Scotland, there were reports of substantial increases in the number of baskets being pilfered.

Over the course of a year, one major store in Wales had almost 500 stolen when it began charging 5p for plastic bags - resulting in a four-figure loss from just one site.

[rebbonk]

The law of unintended consequences

[dutchman]

Grandfather uses same plastic bag for 34 years



Martin McCaskie still keeps a neatly folded Tesco plastic bag, made to commemorate the supermarket chain's '50 years of shopping service' in 1981, in his coat pocket for emergencies.

Grandfather-of-three Martin's family were completely unaware of the vintage keepsake until he produced it at his daughter's house on Monday night when collecting some magazines.

The retired process technician, from Mold, Flintshire, estimated that he had used the pristine red, white and blue number more than 2,000 times in the last three-and-a-half decades.

Martin, 72, said: "I can't even remember which store it came from but it has served me well.

"My motto is 'waste not, want not'. I always keep it folded in the pocket of my coat in case we ever need one.

"It's proved very handy since the charge came in for plastic bags in Wales four years ago, but even before then I would never throw away a plastic bag.

"I just use it as and when it's needed. You can't put anything too heavy in it but it's fine for groceries."

[dutchman]

Card Factory dodges 5p bag charge with cheeky scheme



A popular high street store in Coventry has implemented a sneaky new way of dodging the 5p plastic bag charge - by cutting off the handles.

The Card Factory, which is situated in the Upper Precinct and specialises in discount greeting cards, confirmed their new policy falls within Government rules.

It is understood that the compulsory charge only applies to thin-gauge handle bags, with many supermarkets in the region implementing a 5p fee.

The Card Factory's new method of avoiding charging customers has proved controversial, with many shoppers left divided over the ruse.

A spokesman for the Card Factory told PRW, Plastics and Rubbers Weekly: “The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that not charging for bags without handles complies with the regulations as they stand."

A Friends of the Earth spokesman, though, told The Huffington Post: “It’s two fingers up at trying to protect animals and the environment.”

Nuneaton band April, who recently supported The Libertines during their sold-out Coventry show at the Empire, tweeted: "It's more like a sack, not a bag."

Another, Joe Thomas, added: "So Card Factory are trying to avoid the 5p plastic bag charge by cutting off the bag handles. What a great way to improve your public image."

The 5p bag charge was introduced in England last October in a bid to tackle waste and make the country more eco-friendly.

[dutchman]

Plastic Bag Firm Blames 5p Charge For Collapse

A packaging firm is blaming its collapse on the introduction of a 5p charge for plastic bags in England.

Nelson Packaging said it had entered administration with the loss of 40 jobs at its factory in Lancashire.

Managing director Michael Flynn said this was mainly due to "the English bag legislation" and the corresponding impact on customer and retailer demand.

He added that "aggressive overseas competition ultimately proved too devastating for the ongoing viability of the business, despite the continued efforts of the loyal workforce."

The 5p charge for plastic carriers, brought in to reduce non-recyclable litter, was introduced in England last October, following similar moves in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Two months later, supermarket chains reported a big drop in the use of bags in favour of multi-use alternatives.

Wales first introduced the 5p charge in 2011, reporting a 71% drop in the number of plastic bags handed out by shops since charges were introduced.

Scotland's levy came into force in 2014, with the number of single-use bags falling 80% - equivalent to 650 million carriers.

Northern Ireland reported a 71% fall in 2013.