5p bag charge - your views

System

I have a couple of bags stuffed in my coat pockets for those times I don't want to walk around with mt bag of bags.

Must remember to transfer them to my thicker coat when it gets colder.

Nick_C

ScarletMarble wrote: »

Do you remember those white Co-op bags from a few years ago?

The pest control officer that tackled the wasps nest at their home told me this story about a couple that thought they had mice in their loft as bits of white plastic all over the loft.

Turns out it was the Co-op bags they wrapped picture frames and a couple of Christmas things disintegrated in 3-4 months. As it was around Easter time that this happened.

That sounds like biodegradable bags, probably made from cornstarch.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

oh gosh, you youngsters, just ask you granny what she did before 'carrier' bags were introduced,

oh, and, if the shops had wanted to charge in them days, would granny have been willing to pay?

Zandoni

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi,

oh gosh, you youngsters, just ask you granny what she did before 'carrier' bags were introduced,

oh, and, if the shops had wanted to charge in them days, would granny have been willing to pay?

Different times with a different type of shopping. Most of us now don't go to the local shops daily we go to supermarket and get trolley fulls.

[Deleted User]

ScarletMarble wrote: »

Do you remember those white Co-op bags from a few years ago?

The pest control officer that tackled the wasps nest at their home told me this story about a couple that thought they had mice in their loft as bits of white plastic all over the loft.

Turns out it was the Co-op bags they wrapped picture frames and a couple of Christmas things disintegrated in 3-4 months. As it was around Easter time that this happened.

Ah but you see THAT's the problem.

When they say plastic bags take hundreds of years to decompose people get the idea in their mind that that means they stay the same intact most of that time. If that were the case plastic bags lying around wouldn't actually be that big a deal.

The problem is that they break down into smaller and smaller parts that can enter the food chain.

Nick_C

Remotely wrote: »

Ah but you see THAT's the problem.

When they say plastic bags take hundreds of years to decompose people get the idea in their mind that that means they stay the same intact most of that time. If that were the case plastic bags lying around wouldn't actually be that big a deal.

The problem is that they break down into smaller and smaller parts that can enter the food chain.

Agreed, but plastic bags are only a small part of the plastics problem. One of my concerns about this initiative is that it is paying lip service to the issue. Using bin liners instead of single use plastic bags doesn't help the environment.

What about plastic bottles and all the other plastic rubbish that gets dumped? Personally, I would like to see a 5p refundable deposit on all plastic bottles.

We should also be doing something to help to clean up the garbage that we have dumped in the world's oceans.

jon81uk

Zandoni wrote: »

Different times with a different type of shopping. Most of us now don't go to the local shops daily we go to supermarket and get trolley fulls.

If you have a trolley full then you are using a car to transport it so it is even easier than lots of small trips.

We got these at the Ideal Home Show http://www.notbox.co.uk/trolly-pack.html (and a larger insulated one) which is enough to take all our shopping from trolley to car to flat.

jon81uk

Nick_C wrote: »

Agreed, but plastic bags are only a small part of the plastics problem. One of my concerns about this initiative is that it is paying lip service to the issue. Using bin liners instead of single use plastic bags doesn't help the environment.

What about plastic bottles and all the other plastic rubbish that gets dumped? Personally, I would like to see a 5p refundable deposit on all plastic bottles.

We should also be doing something to help to clean up the garbage that we have dumped in the world's oceans.

Plastic bottles are at least easier to recycle and picked up by most council refuse/recycling collections.
The issue is getting people to put things in the bin in the first place rather than throwing it out the car window. Deposit bottles might help but isn't guarenteed too.

Nick_C

jon81uk wrote: »

Plastic bottles are at least easier to recycle and picked up by most council refuse/recycling collections.
The issue is getting people to put things in the bin in the first place rather than throwing it out the car window. Deposit bottles might help but isn't guarenteed too.

I agree that we still have a long way to go on behavioural changes. Plastic bags can also be recycled quite easily if people take them back to the supermarkets and use the dedicated recycling bins. They cause enormous problems if you put them in your mixed recycling though.

blackandwhitebunny

I'm quite happy to take my own bags or pay 5p for one, however if its about reducing landfill as everyone says when will they ban special offers on disposable nappies and start taxing them.