Being charged to advertise a supermarket?
@firef1y (78)
October 20, 2015 2:37am CST
Well here in sunny (right) old England we're just about starting to get used to the 5p carrier bag charge (it takes us a while to get used to the idea of any change let alone get used to the change itself) and I'm ready to share a few of my thoughts on the matter.
1. Yes I know that many people were just throwing the carrier bags away once they got home, but reusing them was/is more hassle than it was worth. Many years back before the advent of "bags for life", carrier bags were capable of surviving the journey home and even lasting for a couple of reuses. Then the plastic they were made from started to get thinner and thinner until they were almost see through and split as soon as anything touched them.
2. Even though they were only a micron thick I still tried to reuse them where possible, doubling them up to use as bin bags and using them in craft projects or to carry a nappy and wipes when out for a day or so.
3. Even though we are now being charged for carrier bags the supermarkets are still emblazing them with their logos. Some people are perfectly happy being charged to advertise a brand label, me, I'm not. In fact I'm thinking of sending the supermarket a bill for my advertising services, very reasonable, just 5p a bag.
4. Charity, right so the 5p per bag goes to good causes, but which good causes? Don't get me wrong, I give to charity, but I like to choose which charity I'm donating to. Not all charities are created equal and there are some that I won't give to as I don't like the fact that so much in every pound is spent on administration.
So there's a few of my thoughts on this carrier bag charge lark, do you have anything to add?
7 people like this
7 responses
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
20 Oct 15
This donut bought some of the hessian bags thinking of stopping waste but said donut usually leaves them in the kitchen when he goes shopping! The shops used to let you pack your shopping in the empty boxes years ago but stopped that! We were always sent to the shops with resuseable shopping bags when I was a kid as plastic bags were not around that much!
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
20 Oct 15
I forgot to add. I have a plastic bag from all the major supermarkets in the back of the car and take them in too!
@celticeagle (159431)
• Boise, Idaho
20 Oct 15
I guess just upping the price of groceries isn't enough.
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
20 Oct 15
The important thing is that less plastic is made, used and then thrown away. Whatever system is best able to achieve these goals is the one that I will support.
@jolly14 (31)
• Pune, India
20 Oct 15
We are using cloth which we can use again and again how much time you want. Just you want pay one time during purchase. And it is good for global warming because it is recyclable and very less cost of it.
@artemeis (4194)
• China
20 Oct 15
My family uses the recyclable shopping bags that are made of cloth however once in a while when there's too much than the bag can hold, we will simply ask for additional plastic shopping bags. We do not use them for another shopping trip as they will end up as trash bags.
As for our reusable bag, I will now be washing them after each use to prevent any bacteria from thriving inside the bag which can endanger the family, health wise.
