Charges for plastic bags

THX758 · 22 September 2015 at 8:17PM

I saw on their website they will be charging 5p per bags starting in october. They don't seem to have an option to do bagless deliveries.
They will apparently give you a refund for every bags you give back.
I am using the bags for my dustbin, and will carry on using them a it is still cheaper than buying proper bin liners anyway, but will they at least try to fill up the bags instead of putting two items in each bag? Or will they get worse and you will end up with more bags than before?
In case you give the bags back, how will you/they keep track of the ones you give back to make sure you get the right refund?

boysim34 · 24 September 2015 at 9:26AM

I saw a few days ago a sign in Tesco that every single use plastic bag will be charged for. I'm 99.9% sure this is wrong. you cant charge for food items and others if they are not packaged, so I sent them this.hi there, I was in your store yesterday when I noticed the signs for the new charges for carrier bags. it said that every bag will be charged for. as far as I am aware that is wrong, you can't charge for bags for certain items ( just Google it ). for instance if I had loose potatoes in my basket not in any packaging you can't charge 5p for a carrier bag. the same goes for items that could leak, meat, fish even if wrapped in a plastic food bag could still leak so again you can't charge, if however other items are put into the bag say cornflakes then you can charge. I feel your sign is very miss leading and not the correct information is being told to the customers of when they will be charged and when by law a bag must not be charged for. I will look forward to your response. I got a what I say a automated reply just quoting the new law and every bag has to be charged for. so I sent it again saying I still confused. as of yet I have had no reply. if I'm wrong about this then fine, but I can see a lot of problems at the check out very soon. I mean how on earth are you supposed to get a water melon into one of the free veg/fruit bags

frugalmacdugal · 24 September 2015 at 9:33AM

Hi,

the charge is not for plastic bags, it is for single use carrier bags, the ones you would use at checkout to put your shopping in.

Edit: Read this.

missusP · 24 September 2015 at 9:35AM

You are correct that bags for unwrapped food will not be charged. The charge will apply to bags in all large stores. I asked my supermarket to day how it would work at self scan, they dont know! I always use my fabric bags, which is a head ache at self scan.

This below is quoted from Gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-why-were-introducing-the-charge/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-why-were-introducing-the-charge#when-you-wont-be-charged-for-a-bag
When you won’t be charged for a bag
There are some cases where you won’t be charged for a bag:

paper bags
shops in airports, or on board trains, aeroplanes or ships
bags only containing certain items, such as unwrapped food, raw meat and fish where there is a food safety risk, prescription medicines, uncovered blades, seeds, bulbs and flowers, or live fish

Gouldy · 24 September 2015 at 9:42AM

Buy a bag for life and pop your watermelon in there!

UKSBD · 24 September 2015 at 9:53AM

Just grab a handful of loose potatoes and put one in each bag at the checkout

Edit: rats, looks like they got that covered "For example, you wouldn’t charge for a bag containing an unwrapped blade and unwrapped loose seeds, but adding a box of cornflakes means you’d have to charge."

boysim34 · 24 September 2015 at 10:01AM

thought I was right, Tesco are not going to answer I think, the signs are very misleading when they say will charge for every single use bag. it's going to be fun. going have to try it in October with a single potato and see if they charge me. already got reusable bags what we use

jon81uk · 24 September 2015 at 10:22AM

They can't charge for the bags at the fruit & veg dept, or on the fish counter. But I read the law that if you take the fish (that was wrapped at the fish counter) and put it in a further bag at the till, you will be charged 5p

To quote https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-why-were-introducing-the-charge/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-why-were-introducing-the-charge
"There are some cases where you won’t be charged for a bag: bags only containing certain items, such as unwrapped food, raw meat and fish where there is a food safety risk."

So generally speaking all single use bags at the till will be charged for.

On self-service tills I imagine it will be like at M&S and the till asks how many bags you used and relies on honesty.

jon81uk · 24 September 2015 at 10:26AM

Also why would you even want to put a melon in a fruit/veg bag, it had a nice natural skin that protects it. If you need a bag to carry it home in, bring your own or pay the 5p!!

Shrimply · 24 September 2015 at 10:35AM

missusP wrote: »

I asked my supermarket to day how it would work at self scan, they dont know! I always use my fabric bags, which is a head ache at self scan.

The person you asked might not know, but the supermarkets certainly do since their self-checkouts have all had to modified in various ways to make it possible for the last year in Scotland.

rhcp · 24 September 2015 at 10:36AM

missusP wrote: »

You are correct that bags for unwrapped food will not be charged. The charge will apply to bags in all large stores. I asked my supermarket to day how it would work at self scan, they dont know! I always use my fabric bags, which is a head ache at self scan.

This below is quoted from Gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-why-were-introducing-the-charge/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-why-were-introducing-the-charge#when-you-wont-be-charged-for-a-bag
When you won’t be charged for a bag
There are some cases where you won’t be charged for a bag:
paper bags

shops in airports, or on board trains, aeroplanes or ships

bags only containing certain items, such as unwrapped food, raw meat and fish where there is a food safety risk, prescription medicines, uncovered blades, seeds, bulbs and flowers, or live fish

People put live fish in a plastic bag!! :eek:

I did notice in tesco's at the self serving tills, they had some brown paper bags, so I wonder if these will be available free.

Charges for plastic bags

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free