5p bag charge - your views

Bags for Life cost 10p at least so double the single use thin bags. Free replacement when they wear out or a get a significant hole in them

jon81uk wrote: »

Bags for life must have a cost of at least 5p anyway on their first use as you say, replacement bags can be free. You are not entitled to the 5p back, only a replacement bag for the worn out one. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities#bags-youre-not-required-to-to-charge-for

I know that's how it works. I was just saying how, IMHO, it ought to work. As I say, when you buy them and use them for the first time, bags for life are still single use bags, which is what the old free bags were defined as by the legislation, despite the fact that they could be used more than once.

NBLondon wrote: »

I hadn't really thought about this until the weekend when I bought a suit. Debenhams offered me a suit carrier for 5p (basically a tube of thick plastic with clips/handles at each end so you can fold it in half to carry). Can't really be folded and put in a pocket for future shopping use - and I'm not expecting to buy more than one suit a year anyway... So it's gone into the bottom of the wardrobe until I need to carry a suit to the dry-cleaners. 5p extra on a £200 (in the sale) suit is negligible really.


Maybe I could walk into a tailors or another dept store with a Debenhams branded suit carrier swinging in one hand and see if they offer to replace it with their own at no cost?


If I was out to buy say, shirts, then any clean carrier bag will do and can be folded into a jacket pocket.

I agree that the cost is negligible but some retailers that charge more justify this with better customer service and I think wrapping your purchases should be part of customer service. I think stores who want to trade as 'up market' should be introducing paper bags as was always the case in the past.


I was in Jack Wills this weekend and was surprised when the assistant asked if I wanted to buy a plastic bag for 5p. I looked puzzled and asked what had happened to the paper bags they usually provide. He explained that they don't use them in the sale. As the £100+ of goods we were buying weren't in the sale I insisted he went off and found a paper bag. Then he proceeded to fold everything beautifully and put it in the bag.


It might sound silly but part of shopping at Jack Wills for youngsters is carrying the distinctive pink and navy bag around town, it's all part of the designer label culture. If this is lost then stores like these who charge more, largely because they can, will be losing their USP.

I don't have any issue with the 5p bag charge... I've been using reusable canvas bags for my grocery shops for YEARS now (can't understand the people who don't TBH).

If I know I'm going to some other shop where I'm going to buy something, I'll take a folded bag for life in my handbag. Not bothered in the least about using a Tescos bag in Sainsburys for instance!

That being said, I'm not bothered about paying 5p for a bag when I need one. It's close to nothing after all, and it'll only help me to remember a reusuable bag next time!

This 5p bag charge is a complete rip off and is a tax as some of it goes to the government for supposed good causes. After having 0.7% of GDP going on foreign aid with no consultation with the British people I feel very ripped off and certainly don't want to spend even more of my tax £ on charity, which should begin at home. If there was a referendum on the foriegn aid budget, I'm sure it would be cancelled.