Plastic bags

Lord_Baltimore

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Perhaps we could reduce overpopulation and plastic bag litter by reusing bags as condoms.

And condoms could be used to carry groceries. Yay! Everyone is happy.

I recommend the 'Black Mamba' condom as it's bigger.

K.S.

I would call it as a huge success, if charities weren't being run like corrupt businesses and the bosses weren't giving themselves huge salaries and bonuses.

I still prefer plastic bags over bags for life because they are easier to use as bins.

Altarf

Lord_Baltimore wrote: »

Why not just be honest and admit it's the 5p charge that's bothers you because you're a tightwad

No, I am just amused at the people jumping up and down about the reduction in carrier bag usage, when they are only counting one side of the equation and ignoring the plastic bags now bought for refuse bags.

As for the charge having an impact, as I said before, there were no carrier bags thrown in the street where I live, so the cost is irrelevant.

Now if you are saying that you have noticed a difference, then presumably where you live the uncivilized yobs who live there and previously threw the bags into the street cannot afford to pay 5p.

Not something to shout about.

Lord_Baltimore

Altarf wrote: »

No, I am just amused at the people jumping up and down about the reduction in carrier bag usage, when they are only counting one side of the equation and ignoring the plastic bags now bought for refuse bags.

As for the charge having an impact, as I said before, there were no carrier bags thrown in the street where I live, so the cost is irrelevant.

Now if you are saying that you have noticed a difference, then presumably where you live the uncivilized yobs who live there and previously threw the bags into the street cannot afford to pay 5p.

Not something to shout about.

And as I've said before, I don't think anyone is 'jumping up and down' about the reduction but many of us are pleased the associated litter blight will reduce. People buying bags for refuse will maximise their use because of the cost which will also make them think about more responsible refuse disposal. Winning hearts and minds in baby steps is no doubt the strategy.

Perhaps your street is clean but I'd be very surprised if you have not noticed (free) plastic bags littering your nearest city centre, unless you live in Singapore? There is a reduction in littering as a direct result of the introduction of the charge. This is GREAT NEWS.

Thank goodness the charge isn't 6p or 7p; the angst might have caused you to return to sucking your thumb

Altarf

Lord_Baltimore wrote: »

Perhaps your street is clean but I'd be very surprised if you have not noticed (free) plastic bags littering your nearest city centre, unless you live in Singapore?

Prepare to be surprised. There were never any plastic bags littering my town centre (and it isn't in Singapore).

Just because you live in a city full of yobs who throw rubbish into the street doesn't mean everywhere in the UK is like that.

Perhaps you need to get out a bit more.

Lord_Baltimore

Altarf wrote: »

Prepare to be surprised. There were never any plastic bags littering my town centre (and it isn't in Singapore).

Just because you live in a city full of yobs who throw rubbish into the street doesn't mean everywhere in the UK is like that.

Perhaps you need to get out a bit more.

You seem to be saying that because you haven't seen plastic bag littering in your street and in your town centre, the problem does not exist. It is you that needs to get out more; all those village fetes and duck ponds have made you parochial .

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

RuthnJasper

Far more worrying than a grotty town centre or village green is the effect that plastic bags is having on sea-birds and other wildlife:-


http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/15092-plastic-seabirds-albatross-australia/.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34108017


I'm not a green crusader by any means, but no living creature deserves to be stitched-up by people too daft to re-use or pay for a shopping bag.

Altarf

Lord_Baltimore wrote: »

You seem to be saying that because you haven't seen plastic bag littering in your street and in your town centre, the problem does not exist. It is you that needs to get out more; all those village fetes and duck ponds have made you parochial.

So do you now accept that plastic bag littering was only a problem in scummy cities where yobs didn't know how to behave.

If so, then the plastic bag tax was a pretty blunt tool to solve that localised problem.

kwikbreaks

I'm no great fan of the charge because it has deprived me of free rubbish bags but I can see why it was introduced and as HMG doesn't get the dosh it isn't a tax.

Nick_C

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I'm no great fan of the charge because it has deprived me of free rubbish bags but I can see why it was introduced and as HMG doesn't get the dosh it isn't a tax.

You clearly haven't read this short thread.

Over a billion SUCBs were sold in the first six months at a cost of over £52 million.

The biggest single beneficiary is the Government, who raised £8.75 million in additional VAT - 16.6% of the money raised.