MoneySaving Poll: Do you agree with the 5p charge for carrier bags?

346 Posts
MSE Staff
Poll started 15 September 2015
Do you agree with the 5p charge for carrier bags?
From 5 Oct, England joins the rest of the UK in charging 5p for most carrier bags from supermarkets and other large retailers - the money will go to charity. The aim is to reduce the use of bags, which can cause serious environmental problems.
Retailers will be fined if they don’t comply with the rules.
Which option is closest to your view?
Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below. To see the results from last time, click here.
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Thanks!

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Before the charge we would get a 2 or 3 biodegradable plastic bags each week, thin flimsy things which I recycled using for rubbish bags. Critically, they had easy tie handles. I never bought bin liners.
Since the 5p charge, Tesco have upped their game. My daughter gets the stronger 10p bag-for-life which does not biodegrade, has no-tie handles and are now stacking up in my cupboard & the boot of her car. And I have no good bags for rubbish
The environment is not winning this game.
There are records that have to be kept, local councils are in involved and only what is left of the 5p after deducting the costs of operating the charge have to be passed on.
I have also forgotten to take them in - easy solution was to take the trolley to the car and pack it in there - but even so becuase of the trolley transporting the stuff to my car I don't really need a bag - I can then take my time when I am home to unload it all.
I get annoyed when I see people taking loads of bags and they have a trolley full of them - what do they need so many for?
If you can remember to take the cash/credit card to buy the stuff - then you can remember it will need a bag.....
Main issue will be training my husband to take a bag with him.
The best way to stop usage of these carrier bags is simply to stop or limit their production at source. Then we'd all just have to get on with managing without them, like we used to do in times gone by. Maybe the supermarkets should make cardboard boxes more easily available, like they used to do. Currently they seem to get flattened and removed as soon as they are unpacked. Boxes are no good for public transport, but ideal for car users. And the items stay in place on the journey.