ECO Plastic bags policies?? The Downsides?

Helen819

This is all very good,but most people who dont object to the bag policy are people who use cars or have someone who can assist them with the shopping.
I have neither,ive resorted often to taking my ds pushchair and putting my shopping on that.Now that the bag policy has come into force within most shops its a nightmare for me.We have only one supermarket nr me (and thats over 1 mile away) so i do struggle with carrying the shopping home,so if we had to use the paper bags that would leave me in shopping hell.I dont really like asda,so sometimes i go to another town bout 10 miles away and shop there,i am aware that i have to carry these bags home (on the bus),so i dont use too many to start with.I have resorted to doing most of my shopping on-line now,and will,just go for essentials to the big shops.
Also does anyone know if they will start to charge you for the plastic bags when having the shopping delivered.As it is now if i spend £200 shop,and i dont ask for bags,i cant see the driver being very happy that he has to wait for all the crates to be emptied,by me tin by tin.

headcoat

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

I guess I'm a bit different cos personally I think it's great that shops are doing this. I'm fed up seeing plastic bags floating in rivers, caught in trees and blowing down the street.

Are we going to ban, plastic bottles, tin cans, chewing gum, cigarettes etc etc. as well then. I rarely see plastic bags lying around. I would say most people re-use then for their bins at home. We are now going to have to buy special bags for the bins instead now!

ebsay2000

headcoat wrote: »

Are we going to ban, plastic bottles, tin cans, chewing gum, cigarettes etc etc. as well then!

Quite so!

Lets go the full hog and ban Breathing too!! :T

That'd soon put an end to all this rubbish, and a guaranteed way to save the planet and the enviroment too!! :rotfl:

floydy

i was told by a chatty sa in mr t's that it is rumoured amongst the staff that they will be charging for carrier bags soon too.....remember tho that in places like lidl, netto, and kwick save they have always been charging for bags....btw, noticed cardboard boxes are now at the end of the checkouts at my local mr t's

adr0ck

guessing the amount stolen at supermarkets is going to go up this year

just fill your trolley and walk out - hows anyone ever going to know if you bought anything or not?

belfastgirl23

Helen819 wrote: »

This is all very good,but most people who dont object to the bag policy are people who use cars or have someone who can assist them with the shopping.
I have neither,ive resorted often to taking my ds pushchair and putting my shopping on that.Now that the bag policy has come into force within most shops its a nightmare for me.We have only one supermarket nr me (and thats over 1 mile away) so i do struggle with carrying the shopping home,so if we had to use the paper bags that would leave me in shopping hell.I dont really like asda,so sometimes i go to another town bout 10 miles away and shop there,i am aware that i have to carry these bags home (on the bus),so i dont use too many to start with.I have resorted to doing most of my shopping on-line now,and will,just go for essentials to the big shops.
Also does anyone know if they will start to charge you for the plastic bags when having the shopping delivered.As it is now if i spend £200 shop,and i dont ask for bags,i cant see the driver being very happy that he has to wait for all the crates to be emptied,by me tin by tin.

Just wondering why you don't take the reusable bags with you when you go shopping? As someone who does do a lot of shopping on foot I prefer to take my own bags (esp the M&S cloth bags) because they are a lot easier on the hands for heavier loads - I find the plastic ones stretch and leave ugly welts. And hurt.

Tesco have a policy of encouraging you to do bagless shopping by the way, I always get the 'naked' delivery and find I can get the crates unloaded fine as the driver brings in the next batch.

dreamlife99

floydy wrote: »

i was told by a chatty sa in mr t's that it is rumoured amongst the staff that they will be charging for carrier bags soon too.....remember tho that in places like lidl, netto, and kwick save they have always been charging for bags....btw, noticed cardboard boxes are now at the end of the checkouts at my local mr t's

but the thing is that places like these always reflect that they charge for these because they offer cheaper items and no hidden costs i.e. bags.

earthmother

Helen819 wrote: »

This is all very good,but most people who dont object to the bag policy are people who use cars or have someone who can assist them with the shopping.
I have neither,ive resorted often to taking my ds pushchair and putting my shopping on that.Now that the bag policy has come into force within most shops its a nightmare for me.We have only one supermarket nr me (and thats over 1 mile away) so i do struggle with carrying the shopping home,so if we had to use the paper bags that would leave me in shopping hell.I dont really like asda,so sometimes i go to another town bout 10 miles away and shop there,i am aware that i have to carry these bags home (on the bus),so i dont use too many to start with.I have resorted to doing most of my shopping on-line now,and will,just go for essentials to the big shops.
Also does anyone know if they will start to charge you for the plastic bags when having the shopping delivered.As it is now if i spend £200 shop,and i dont ask for bags,i cant see the driver being very happy that he has to wait for all the crates to be emptied,by me tin by tin.

I do virtually all our shopping on my own and on foot (family of 5) - it is perfectly do-able as Belfast Girl said.

I like the Co-op cotton bags best - they pack down really small, but hold loads - I put 2 or 3 in a Sainsbury Jute bag (the padded handles are easier for milk and other heavy bits) with my purse, phone and keys and away I go. Coming home, the jute and/or a co-op bag (one with longer handles) can go on my shoulders, the other co-op bags in my hands. Or if I know I have a lot of heavy items, I take the shopping trolley or make sure I time it in with a trip that I'll have the pushchair with me.

I've had Tesco naked deliveries since they started - never had a problem with the drivers at all - I just have a few foldable crates by the front door, unload it all into there (even had drivers help :T ) and then carry it through to the kitchen when the driver has gone.


I think it can seem very daunting when you first start (and I know I felt strange/conspicuous walking around town with 'granny' shopping bags for the first week or two, lol), but it very quickly becomes second nature.


The next problem I have is to get a grip on the bag addiction :rotfl:

belfastgirl23

I find the naked delivery encourages (strongly encourages!) the drivers to carry the crates through to the kitchen for me although I think our drivers in Belfast are a lot more amenable to this than in other parts of the country anyway

LesD

Don't forget, people, that this was one of our illustrious government's ideas!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-494962/Brown-sounds-death-knell-free-plastic-bags-new-environmental-push.html

Never mind the problems of knife-crime, drug abuse, a failing economy, hyper-inflation, etc. Just cut down on using plastic bags!

However, to be serious for a minute, remember that most places still have loads of free mini-bags available in the fruit and veg areas. 2 or 3 of those (inside one-another) will hold a fair few things!