Bag Tax

BigAl94

Haven't seen much discussion on this tax being introduced next week. It's obviously something we will have to get used to although I think the whole thing is a con. Means I will have to go and purchase bags for the waste bin instead of recycling supermarket bags!

My question is hypothetical but will happen. Out for the day, make an impulse purchase of an item or items of clothing and am asked to pay for bags. My response will be "pay for it out of the cost of the item or the deal's off"

The bag tax has been in the republic for several years and I have no recollection of being asked to pay when purchasing clothing, usually in privately owned shops.

How do you think this will play out here?

HappyMJ

BigAl94 wrote: »

Haven't seen much discussion on this tax being introduced next week. It's obviously something we will have to get used to although I think the whole thing is a con. Means I will have to go and purchase bags for the waste bin instead of recycling supermarket bags!

My question is hypothetical but will happen. Out for the day, make an impulse purchase of an item or items of clothing and am asked to pay for bags. My response will be "pay for it out of the cost of the item or the deal's off"

The bag tax has been in the republic for several years and I have no recollection of being asked to pay when purchasing clothing, usually in privately owned shops.

How do you think this will play out here?

I'd just pay the 5p and continue to do as you do and reuse the bag.

You could buy 100 bin liners for a quid but they are so flimsy compared to strong supermarket carrier bags and only take half as much rubbish before something tears them. Strong bin liners cost about £1 for 20...which is 5p each anyway.

Nada666

BigAl94 wrote: »

How do you think this will play out here?

There will be much entertainment. Pompous self-important gits like will you get your kicks from needless, time-wasting, thirty second "ooh, look at me" moments with shop-assistants. Shop assistants will pee their underwear laughing either way at the "did you see that look of triumph that weirdo had when we waived the 5p" or "what a creep wimping out over the price of a bag".

Gaiety to the nation will be increased. But you may be too smug and self-involved to notice that it is you, not the policy, that is the butt.

gizmo111

It's been in Wales for a couple of years - I don't mind paying for the clothes bags when out - its the big supermarket shop that drives me nuts, and then the single bottle of wine that you don't want to walk away with in your hand.

IrishRose12

I'll be interested to see how this works also. They tried it in Easons and WH Smith a few years ago and it lasted all of 3 months if they were lucky.

TBH I've been in Dublin loads of times and I've never been asked, nor have I asked do I want to buy a plastic bag, I always just use their paper bags. And when shopping, I've been using the re-useable bags for years anyway so it won't affect me there either.
Some supermarkets in Spain and Lanzarote charge 5cents for their bags, which I didn't mind as I'm always trying to get rid of the 5 cents anyway lol. And also they are decent bags that were able to be reused wach time I was going to the supermarket. Infact I still have some here that I use now and again for my shopping.

As you say, it's one of those impulse buys, but from now on I'll just have to remember to have a carrier bag in my handbag just in case.
The only way it's going to affect me is when re-using them for my rubbish. Plastic bags aren't as good as they used to be. They rip at the slightest thing most of the time, so I wouldn't be paying 5p or whatever it is for a bag that will rip before I get home!

Once again it's just another way to get money out of us, yet I still don't see my wages rising to be able to pay for everything the Government wants me to pay for!!

kyral

Asda in junction1 decided to do it yesterday! No bags unless you bought one for 6p.

Not too many people had a choice because you cant exactly put the entire contents of a full basket or trolley in your pockets!

BigAl94

kyral wrote: »

Asda in junction1 decided to do it yesterday! No bags unless you bought one for 6p.

Not too many people had a choice because you cant exactly put the entire contents of a full basket or trolley in your pockets!

True but you can leave a full trolley at the till - consumers have power if they choose to use it!

jeffer

My opinion is that this is a political tax in this country - Sinn Fein (who first proposed it) are crowing over the fact that NI is now in line with the rest of 'the Island of Ireland'.

MercenaryMan

I was in Dublin for a spell when it came in down south. There was some grumbling but people quickly got used to it. I'm still using the same long-life bags I bought then.

The MSE attitude is to look at it as an impulse buyer's tax.

jeffer

M & S have been charging for bags in the Food section for years now, but now they will charge for bags for clothes too. Now I'll not be able to throw in my sandwiches with my underwear!

Old_Git

unlike the republic we will also have to pay for paper bags.