Green taxes -Plastic bags to be banned ??

IvanOpinion

peter999 wrote: »

You have the mindset to be a Councillor.

Whistles innocently :whistle: :whistle:

ivan

peter999

The much maligned plastic pag has been taken for granted for too long & is a victim of its own success.

Where would be without plastic bags for carrying, storing, waterproofing items ??

Plastic bags aren't what they were, you store something in one or use one to make something waterproof, go back few months later & it's turned to dust, not like bags of old which lasted forever.

In defence of plastic bags
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7071182.stm

3.Unlike cloth or paper, plastic contains nasty smells and seepages. Hence their

popularity with dog owners and parents of children young enough to be in nappies.

4. And what plastic doesn't let out, it also doesn't let in.

5. Being durable and waterproof makes plastic bags a boon for users of public transport, enabling them to carry more without recourse to a car.

peter999

JasonLVC

All green taxes are a con.

A government can institute a cultural change through legislative action alone. For example, a ban on smoking indoors to reduce smoking related deaths or raising the age upon which someone can purchase alcohol, have sex, marry, etc and then enforce it in law.

Taxes don't change anything, they only raise revenue and exploit the poor. Did it stop smokers, drinkers and people filling up their 4x4's?.

Why not make it illegal for supermarkets to sell plastic bags - end of. Customers will then have to find a way to do it themselves somehow or buy a 'bag for life'. If all shops did it, the cultural change would happen over night (after a few weeks rapid ebay trading of spare plastic bags of course).

If the government is concerned with dirty cars, then simply make them illegal or impose import duties upon them. If the government is worried about fast food, then make outlets liable in law for any health related diseases customers may acquire or limit the planning consent for new stores being built.

Problem is, the UK government cannot do anything without consent from Europe as it may create an imbalance in the marketplace. That is why the EU is bad for the planet and why green taxes are bad for the planet.

angelatgraceland

Does anyone here remember what life was like before we had surplus plastic bags?We all managed perfectly. I don't see a need to ban them-just charge 10p for them and see how it goes. Its just a case of what you are used to doing. If I go into lidls or aldi I take my own cos I know I have to pay for them whereas if I am going to Tesco, I doubt I will remember to bring them with me. Now I am a person who "believes" in recycling but like a lot of others I have my area of weakness. I did remember this week because of the publicity, plus the fact that there is a mound of them in my garage. I also use them as binliners-as Gingham says-some things need to go in them. For these few occasions tho I am happy to pay money for such a priviledge. I use them to line the toilet bins-don't really want dirty sanitary ware loose in the binbag! They have good uses today but I think that we could easily reduce them by 90%. Not sure that the "green tax" is genuine-rather like road tax-it won't go where it is supposed to. I would be just as happy if the shops reduced their goods and charged for the bags as lidl and aldi supposedly do.I guess I don't believe in extremes or in the nanny state but I do believe that the way plastic is wasted today is a real problem. The packaging has to be worked on urgently as others have said but don't bash the bag issue meanwhile-one step in the right direction is good.

Terrylw1

I wonder if they will be serving destruction notices on shopping trolleys found on wasteland next?

I always find green tax a bit like green energy, most of it's not what you think it is...so how much of the tax will be funding Gordan's eyebrow curlers???

magyar

Terrylw1 wrote: »

I wonder if they will be serving destruction notices on shopping trolleys found on wasteland next?

I always find green tax a bit like green energy, most of it's not what you think it is...so how much of the tax will be funding Gordan's eyebrow curlers???

I think you need to qualify that sentence a bit better. The usual criticism of Green Energy is that it's 'only what they had to produce anyway'. That makes it no less green, it just dents the credentials of the company selling it.

'Green Energy' in a supply sense is usually defined as coming from a ROC-accredited source (ROC being a Renewables Obligation Certificate), which means it has to come from wind, small hydro, biomass or landfill gas.

angelatgraceland

And if it comes from landfill gas that doesnt sound so "green" does it!

magyar

angelatgraceland wrote: »

And if it comes from landfill gas that doesnt sound so "green" does it!

I can see what you're saying but I think we're a long way from having no landfills, so whilst we have landfills - which emit methane - it's sensible to capture that methane and recycle it as fuel.

Out of interest, the government is proposing a revision to the RO subsidy which means that those technologies it considers are fully mature, such as landfill gas, will receive only 1/4 of the subsidy and those it considers need a bit more of a push, such as offshore wind and marine/tidal, will receive 1.5x or 2x the subsidy.

peter999

They're all at it now, trying to show their newly found Green credentials !! :rotfl:

PM warns stores over carrier bags
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7270358.stm

Gordon Brown has warned retailers he will force them to cut down on plastic bag use if they do not act voluntarily.

Writing in the Daily Mail, he told stores that "If government compulsion is needed to make the change, we will take the necessary steps."

M&S to charge 5p for carrier bags
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7268283.stm

Marks and Spencer is to begin charging its food shoppers for carrier bags.

Customers will have to pay 5p for plastic bags, with the money raised going to an environmental charity.

peter999

Ps: This thread was in Discussion Time & is a discussion on the real motives behind companies, politicians, councils & their sudden interest in banning or charging for plastic bags or trying to outdo each other to demonstrate their newly found Green credentials.

moonrakerz

This is just another "knee jerk" reaction to jump onto the "green" bandwagon.

The "initiative" on plastic carrier bags in the Irish Republic, oft quoted as the way to go, now seems to have backfired somewhat.
According to the Today programme this morning, the Irish now expect a better quality plastic bag now that they are paying 15c for it. As a result Ireland is now using more plastic to make plastic bags than when they were free !

Ah well, back to the drawing board !