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

custardy

BlueEyedGirl wrote: »

5p bag in Morrisons is not new and improved... it's just the normal free bag with a 5p charge, would have expected something a little stronger from a major supermarket!

Boots do two bags, as well as 5p for the normal size, they do a larger one with a 7p charge, needed one today to carry some Christmas gifts home in. Sadly it had split down one side by the time I had got home so not reusable! :mad:

Why? They havent levied the charge.

Azari

BlueEyedGirl wrote: »

5p bag in Morrisons is not new and improved... it's just the normal free bag with a 5p charge, would have expected something a little stronger from a major supermarket!

The Morrisons bag is already considerably better than the Tescos ones (or at least, the Tesco ones before Monday - didn't look today as I always take my own).

Morglin

Some shoppers are solving it:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8909317/Half-of-supermarket-baskets-stolen-after-carrier-bag-charge.html

Lin

derrick

Morglin wrote: »

Some shoppers are solving it:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8909317/Half-of-supermarket-baskets-stolen-after-carrier-bag-charge.html

Lin

4 years ago in Wales.


.

balletshoes

JReacher1 wrote: »

Its a tax that the government imposes. I wouldn't expect any retailer to introduce better quality bags for the 5p (although I realise Sainsburys are being a bit sneaky with how they are getting round the charge)

I paid 5p for a Heron bag on Tuesday - its much bigger and much stronger than its free predecessor.

System

balletshoes wrote: »

I paid 5p for a Heron bag on Tuesday - its much bigger and much stronger than its free predecessor.

Do you often buy herons?

I assume it has holes for the wings?

peter_the_piper

Great for carrying fish.

JReacher1

balletshoes wrote: »

I paid 5p for a Heron bag on Tuesday - its much bigger and much stronger than its free predecessor.

These shops that are switching normal carrier bags to bags for life are actually using a loophole that means they don't have to donate to charity. They do this because the bags for life exceed the quality threshold for plastic bags so they don't have to pay the tax on them. Therefore the 5p can go straight to the shop.

Basically they're rats.

wealdroam

JReacher1 wrote: »

These shops that are switching normal carrier bags to bags for life are actually using a loophole that means they don't have to donate to charity. They do this because the bags for life exceed the quality threshold for plastic bags so they don't have to pay the tax on them. Therefore the 5p can go straight to the shop.

What?

I thought it was explained long ago in this thread that the shops do not have to donate any of their takings from any bag sales to charity.

What tax are you talking about?
They have to pay vat on the sale. That's all. Thus four and a bit pence goes 'straight to the shop' - whether the bag is a 'bag for life' or not.

JReacher1

wealdroam wrote: »

What?

I thought it was explained long ago in this thread that the shops do not have to donate any of their takings from any bag sales to charity.

What tax are you talking about?
They have to pay vat on the sale. That's all. Thus four and a bit pence goes 'straight to the shop' - whether the bag is a 'bag for life' or not.

No no no no....

It says quite clearly that any profits from this charge are expected to go to charity. I realise this means it doesn't have to go to charity BUT as the governments guidelines say it should go to charity the majority of big retailers are donating to charity as its not worth the PR not do to that.

The ones that aren't eg sainsburys are getting round this by introducing bags that they don't have to charge the 5p for. Theoretically they could give these bags to customers for free but instead they charge 5p and keep it.

The word tax is just an easy way of referring to the charge as for all intents and purposes a 5p charge on a carrier bag is a consumer tax.