Lack of publicity over England's shops charging 5p a bag

balletshoes

ScarletMarble wrote: »

From doing a small shop yesterday, its clearly evident that many customers are still using the 'free' bags for their shopping. It didn't look like 3 days before the law is changing. Unless some of these customers will be using their own bags from Monday and getting their final 'free' lot of bags.

and? so what? the law doesn't change until Monday, so its business as usual for shoppers today, yesterday and tomorrow, why wouldn't it be?

Nick_C

ScarletMarble wrote: »

Meat from the meat chillers or freezers don't warrant a free bag. As brought in wrapped. Though can use a loose produce bag. Though Aldi don't have produce bags.

This is going to confuse customers the most.

Defra need to make the wording clearer.

I think the guidance is already clear. "You don’t charge for plastic bags that are ... for uncooked meat, poultry and their products"

The legislation is also surprisingly clear. "The following are excluded bags ... A bag intended to be used solely to contain uncooked fish or fish products, meat or meat products or poultry or poultry products".

If your wrapped meat from the self service fridges is leaking (as often happens), it is perfectly legitimate for the shop to let you put it in a carrier FOC. This often happens at the tills, and I hope it will continue to happen. I don't want the juices from an uncooked chicken leaking over other food. That would be a serious health risk.

The only guidance that needs clarifying is the guidance to call centre staff.

Azari

balletshoes wrote: »

scarlet, it may be confusing you, but honestly, it doesn't confuse customers, as customers we just accept that if we haven't brought bags with us, we'll need to pay for them. Simple as that.

Until the customer gets a free bag for some leaky meat one day and then kicks off when s/he doesn't get one for (non-leaky) meat the next.

There undoubtedly is potential for confusion and annoyance, but I'm sure that the very few problems that are caused in the first few days will rapidly dwindle to diddly squirt in a couple of weeks.

I can understand, though, why shop assistants in 'rough' areas may be a little apprehensive. As, indeed, might be those working in establishments frequented by knobby, entitled people.

teddysmum

Well I am well stocked with free bags to use for disposal of messy kitchen waste, have a number of bags for life to cover shopping and a large number of charity (or pseudo-charity) collection bags (at least two arrive each week) to line the outside bin....Sorted.

The-Truth

ScarletMarble wrote: »

Rang all the supermarkets customer service lines.

Are you retired by any chance?

Nick_C

ScarletMarble wrote: »

Rang all the supermarkets customer service lines ....

The-Truth wrote: »

Are you retired by any chance?

I think its really useful when people research a topic instead of making things up or passing on their own misguided beliefs as facts.

Azari

The-Truth wrote: »

Are you retired by any chance?

If you'd actually read the thread you'd already know the answer to that question.

Still, I suppose posting 'funny' retorts to people who are actually interested and prepared to make an effort is so much easier.

JReacher1

Nick_C wrote: »

I think its really useful when people research a topic instead of making things up or passing on their own misguided beliefs as facts.

Problem is quite a lot of poster on here lie and when they say they've done something they haven't.

Although I am not saying this poster lied!

I'm still amazed this thread is still going on. It's a minuscule charge that the Scots and Welsh have managed to cope with without civilisation breaking down

I'm sure it won't cause a problem in England.

carlislelass

Surely Primark wont charge, their bags are paper and can be recycled?

Nick_C

carlislelass wrote: »

Surely Primark wont charge, their bags are paper and can be recycled?

I know nothing about Primark, but if their bags are paper they will not be required to charge in England. The charge only applies to single use plastic bags. Equally, Primark in England will be free to charge for paper bags if they chose to do so.

(Different rules apply in the rest of the UK, where paper bags must be charged for.)