Plastic bag tax

JulieElizabeth

Some eejit says this will cost the average family £156 per year

What a load of billiards

saverbuyer

It's just a desperate attempt by the Executive to raise some revenue. I don't think its aim at changing attitudes to recycling. So for that reason I have to agree with BigAl, if it's all about getting some more money to avoid cuts elsewhere just be honest and tax the supermarkets. If any decide to pass the cost on to me (similar to the M&S bag scheme) I can choose to take my business elsewhere.

mildred1978

saverbuyer wrote: »

It's just a desperate attempt by the Executive to raise some revenue. I don't think its aim at changing attitudes to recycling. So for that reason I have to agree with BigAl, if it's all about getting some more money to avoid cuts elsewhere just be honest and tax the supermarkets. If any decide to pass the cost on to me (similar to the M&S bag scheme) I can choose to take my business elsewhere.

If EVERYONE has to charge for bags, where would you take your business? France?!

saverbuyer

mildred1978 wrote: »

If EVERYONE has to charge for bags, where would you take your business? France?!

If you read my post I said that the Executive weren't being honest about the motives of the scheme. I understand it is loaded on the consumer and I WILL have to pay but seeing as it is just money raising scheme rather that a "green initiative” why not just be honest and tax the supermarket and not the consumer. A tax implies that they want to change my habits through monetary penalties and force me to use reusable bags when in fact they want me to use as many bags as possible to raise money.

BigAl94

Fosterdog wrote: »

BigAl you're still missing the point, the retailer has no choice in the matter, they can't give a free bag end of.

No, you're missing the point, the retailer could cover the cost of the bag out of profit if he wishes the sale to proceed. As I said time for the public to seize the initiative.

Fosterdog wrote: »

As I already said I live in Wales where it's already in place and I work in a shop, I'm not just speculating on how it will work I'm dealing with it everyday.

The Welsh legislation is unique, it includes paper bags which is not envisaged here, more in line with Irish legislation is expected. There is little point in people from outside Northern Ireland pontificating on how things might be here.

Fosterdog wrote: »

..all to save a complete stranger 5p

Interesting statement to make about a customer who is the life blood of retailing. I have had this conversation many times in the Irish Republic (admittedly not in the larger national supermarkets) and have without exception ended up with a free bag when a charge was indicated.

Fosterdog wrote: »

The money has to go to a charity or a green venture. The company I work for is keeping it all back until the end of the financial year and then it will be split between causes. My local shop put their 5ps in a Ty Hafan collection pot so it's helping sick children. Are you really going to make a scene and refuse to let money go to charity because you can't be bothered to take your own bags?

Welsh legislation sounds like a right mess. Who polices it to ensure that the amount collected equates to the number of bags? It obviously isn't collected by local government if your employer can keep all the money for a year then decide what to do with it? What's to stop a retailer simply adding it to their bottom line? I already contribute to local charities via an international organisation I belong to so the moral blackmail of refusing to let money go to charity doesn't wash! I already pay a percentage of my income to charity and have no desire to increase this.

As regards not being bothered to take own bags, how can you possibly carry bags around to cover an infinite number of impulse purchases?

BigAl94

smcqis wrote: »

Are you actually serious?? Carry reuseable bags with you save the environment. Its probably folk like you that get a shooping load of plastic bags and they go straight in the bin when you get home. Plastic bags should be reused numerous times, only time we ever throw one out is when we put the fire ashes out. We have 2 cupboards at home full of them. My wife has a fold up bad soze of 2 fingers she keeps constantly in her purse and when we go food shopping we take our heavy duty bags everytime.

5p...about f..ing time too, will stop ppl being lazy

Let me tell you what happens to all the Tesco/Sainsbury bags in this house, they are kept in a cupboard and used to line the bin in the kitchen. They all get used for this purpose. If we don't have those bags then we will purchase bin liners - result, extra cost re the purchase of these and more importantly, reduction in plastic bags going to landfill - absolutely ZERO!

Proves that this is nothing other than a nonsense tax raising excercise.

Normskin

mildred1978 wrote: »

If EVERYONE has to charge for bags, where would you take your business? France?!

Not much use taking your business to France, you have to pay for bags there as well. :cool:

I always keep a stash of bags in the car for any shopping and I prefer using my own bags as they are bigger & stronger and therefore, much easier to pack the shopping.

saverbuyer

BigAl94 wrote: »

Let me tell you what happens to all the Tesco/Sainsbury bags in this house, they are kept in a cupboard and used to line the bin in the kitchen. They all get used for this purpose. If we don't have those bags then we will purchase bin liners - result, extra cost re the purchase of these and more importantly, reduction in plastic bags going to landfill - absolutely ZERO!

Proves that this is nothing other than a nonsense tax raising excercise.

Exactly, it is all about raising more money from soft sources and saying it environmental.

This about plugging a hole in the public finances. Nothing more nothing less.

mildred1978

saverbuyer wrote: »

This about plugging a hole in the public finances. Nothing more nothing less.

How does it do that if the money goes to charity, not into the public purse??

Pont

I've been taking heavy duty bags with me to do shopping for ages, long before this legislation came in (I live in Wales), precisely because the ones handed out in supermarkets either fell apart before I got home or cut into my hands. As with BigAl any bags I got from supermarkets were used as bin liners etc so not wasted - I now buy plastic bin liners so nothing gained re: landfill.

However, I resent putting newly bought clothing in reuseable bags. I'm not going to place a £100 new coat in a bag that was carrying my veggies the previous week - I find I'm 'popping' over the border more and more these days for all shopping.

I understand many local shops are having a nightmare over this with regards to shoplifting. A bag used to be an indication that customers had paid for their goods, now people are walking through the doors with their arms full of stuff and it's difficult to know who has applied the five finger discount and who has paid.