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

peter_the_piper

Its like the delivery charge, isn't it the same whether for 5 items or 50? They have just put a flat charge whether you need 4 or 16.

JReacher1

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Its like the delivery charge, isn't it the same whether for 5 items or 50? They have just put a flat charge whether you need 4 or 16.

Is that legal?

If you click you want bags and pay 40p and they give you more than 8 bags then would the store not be breaching the regulations that say they have to charge 5p a bag.

Nick_C

JReacher1 wrote: »

Is that legal?

If you click you want bags and pay 40p and they give you more than 8 bags then would the store not be breaching the regulations that say they have to charge 5p a bag.

Thats a very good question! The guidance says "The number of bags used isn’t always known until delivery takes place. This means you can charge for an average number of bags for multi-bag deliveries, as long as 5p or more is charged per bag overall." However, I can't see anything in the legislation that justifies that advice! It wouldn't be the first time the Government has published incorrect guidance, and ultimately the responsibility for compliance with the law lies with the retailer.

Rotti

So far I have not noticed a lot of difference in the number of orange Sainsburys bags discarded in the field where I walk the dog - they have simply changed in design. The field is next to a senior school and the kids all go out and spend amazing amounts in the local superstore every lunch time. With so much money at their disposal, probably provided by over-indulgent parents, 5p is nothing and they still dump the bag where their snacks run out......... so much for less plastic in the countryside!

As I recycle most of my household waste I used to use one carrier bag a week for the leftovers but will now have nothing to put it in so will have to start buying plastic of some description to replace the carriers. As the council insist on paper being in them maybe they should rethink how they collect and be less dependent on plastic bags themselves.

I also wonder if it will make people think twice about buying if they only have a limited bag capacity and refuse to pay for a bag on principle. I was in Sainsburys today for a few things and took one (Waitrose) cotton bag with me. Then I noticed that the breakfast biscuits I use for my B&B were on a great offer and bought 12 boxes without even thinking. I got to the checkout having saved a lot of money then realised I only had one bag with me. Do I put them back and hope they are still on offer (and on the shelf) when I do my big shop on Monday, fork out 5p for a bag or manage without one. I opted for the latter, squeezing as much as I could into the cotton one and balancing the rest in my arms until I reached the car feeling like a "Double or Drop" contestant on Crackerjack! Cabbage anyone?

daytona0

Rotti wrote: »

So far I have not noticed a lot of difference in the number of orange Sainsburys bags discarded in the field where I walk the dog - they have simply changed in design. The field is next to a senior school and the kids all go out and spend amazing amounts in the local superstore every lunch time. With so much money at their disposal, probably provided by over-indulgent parents, 5p is nothing and they still dump the bag where their snacks run out......... so much for less plastic in the countryside!

As I recycle most of my household waste I used to use one carrier bag a week for the leftovers but will now have nothing to put it in so will have to start buying plastic of some description to replace the carriers. As the council insist on paper being in them maybe they should rethink how they collect and be less dependent on plastic bags themselves.

I also wonder if it will make people think twice about buying if they only have a limited bag capacity and refuse to pay for a bag on principle. I was in Sainsburys today for a few things and took one (Waitrose) cotton bag with me. Then I noticed that the breakfast biscuits I use for my B&B were on a great offer and bought 12 boxes without even thinking. I got to the checkout having saved a lot of money then realised I only had one bag with me. Do I put them back and hope they are still on offer (and on the shelf) when I do my big shop on Monday, fork out 5p for a bag or manage without one. I opted for the latter, squeezing as much as I could into the cotton one and balancing the rest in my arms until I reached the car feeling like a "Double or Drop" contestant on Crackerjack! Cabbage anyone?

You remind me of Basil from the series called Fawlty Towers :rotfl:

System

A desperate plea on behalf of all us retail workers

1) please don't give us abuse, we didn't create the charge, but by law we have to implement it

2) just because you saw it on facebook, no it isn't illegal to offer bags that are branded and no it doesn't have to passed 3 times to be law, I googled this on my 15 minute break and debunked it as a load of crap in that time

3) if I dropped 5p on the floor chances are I wouldn't pick it up. 5p is !!!!!! all and if you don't want to pay it just bring your own bag

peter_the_piper

We are a small retailer so don't have to charge. If a customer wants to pay for the bag the money goes straight into the St Michaels Hospice tin. Most people offer more than the 5p.

LilElvis

Rotti wrote: »

So far I have not noticed a lot of difference in the number of orange Sainsburys bags discarded in the field where I walk the dog - they have simply changed in design. The field is next to a senior school and the kids all go out and spend amazing amounts in the local superstore every lunch time. With so much money at their disposal, probably provided by over-indulgent parents, 5p is nothing and they still dump the bag where their snacks run out......... so much for less plastic in the countryside!

As I recycle most of my household waste I used to use one carrier bag a week for the leftovers but will now have nothing to put it in so will have to start buying plastic of some description to replace the carriers. As the council insist on paper being in them maybe they should rethink how they collect and be less dependent on plastic bags themselves.

I also wonder if it will make people think twice about buying if they only have a limited bag capacity and refuse to pay for a bag on principle. I was in Sainsburys today for a few things and took one (Waitrose) cotton bag with me. Then I noticed that the breakfast biscuits I use for my B&B were on a great offer and bought 12 boxes without even thinking. I got to the checkout having saved a lot of money then realised I only had one bag with me. Do I put them back and hope they are still on offer (and on the shelf) when I do my big shop on Monday, fork out 5p for a bag or manage without one. I opted for the latter, squeezing as much as I could into the cotton one and balancing the rest in my arms until I reached the car feeling like a "Double or Drop" contestant on Crackerjack! Cabbage anyone?

Your problems are easily solved.

No, you don't have to spend 5p on a carrier or buy bin liners to put your waste in. When you walk your dog pick up the discarded bags the school brats have left behind and use those. Free bag and you will have done your bit for the community by removing litter.

You don't need to precariously balance your purchases if you have insufficient bags with you. Put them in a trolley, wheel it to your car, place purchases in car and then return the trolley to the bay.

Mountains. Molehills.

[Deleted User]

People crying oh no what will I do I have no carrier bags to put my rubbish in.

Well I just went round to my local corner shop for some snax and got given a FREE carrier bag!

That's my bin rubbish sorted for another week. Win win!

Poppy9

We have lived quite happily with the 5p bag charge for a number of years in Wales and when I have done online food shops I always opt for bagless and there is no charge.

I did an onliine shop for DD which will be delivered to her address in England and opted for bagless but it still charged me 40p for bags. I rang to query why and was told the system does it automatically and it will be refunded. Not sure why now the charge is in England it does it automatically whereas previously it could cope with no charging when the law only applied to Wales.

Also shopping in England last week and a small retailer charged me 5p for a bag even though they legally don't have to. I didn't query as I understand it's the retailers choice to give a free bag or not.