The stores seem to be taking advantage of the carrier bag charge
By Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
December 19, 2015 4:18am CST
Here in England it became compulsory a short while ago for any business with more than 250 employees to charge 5 pence for a carrier bag. This was obviously designed to encompass the major stores and reduce the excessive circulation of carrier bags
Yesterday I did a little grocery shopping online. I do this most years so that I can stock up for Christmas without having to make several trips to the supermarket.
When I reached the checkout page I was shocked to notice that if I wanted the groceries to be packed in carrier bags there would be a 40 pence charge. This was not calculated according to what I had ordered, but was a standard charge because they estimate that some customers may order 8 carrier bags worth of goods.
The minimum order permitted is £25, so I suspect that many people will order well below 8 carrier bag quantities. Personally the charge is academic to me, but I certainly feel that the supermarket is taking unfair advantage of many elderly people who cannot get out shopping.
20 people like this
22 responses
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
19 Dec 15
That is not very fair at all. What is to stop the ones in charge of packing your groceries from packing them so that more bags are used than need be? I guess what I am saying is that they shouldn't "assume" an average and penalize all for it.
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Dec 15
The annoying aspect is that the ones who are penalised most by this will be those who cannot afford to purchase more than a small amount. Imagine some elderly lady on a budget who has difficulty getting out to the shops, she would buy a small quantity and overpay.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
19 Dec 15
@Asylum I work for a grocery store that does what is called home shop. They can go online and shop, but like your stores, there is a minimum amount they can put in their cart. With that being said, there is also a monthly charge of some sort. I don't know the details as I don't work in that department. It is definitely not fair for those who can not get out to the stores to shop.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Dec 15
@ScribbledAdNauseum Quite a few major supermarkets have online shopping here in England. There is no monthly charge, but they do have a £25 minimum order and a small delivery charge.
2 people like this
@pgntwo (22405)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
19 Dec 15
That has been the case in Northern Ireland for a number of years now - and two things have arisen as a result:
1. A supply of durable bags is kept in the boot of the car, as well as a couple of small nylon bags in a coat or trouser pocket, and
2. I no longer see plastic bags, blown into the hedge, hanging fluttering in the breeze.
The on-line shopping trick is not one I have experienced, I still tend to go to the supermarket to do my shopping.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
19 Dec 15
Like Barry, I have the bulk of my groceries delivered once a month. I then only pick up produce from time to time as needed. For this trip, I bring my own bags.
@rebelann (117284)
• El Paso, Texas
19 Dec 15
I have to assume that a carrier bag there is much the same as the plastic bags our stores use here. Perhaps if the stores here would charge for those bags more people would learn to bring in their own bags to put groceries in.
I shop at a grocery store who uses the cardboard boxes of their inventory for us to put our items in, if we want.
I haven't been charged for bags when I make purchases online and I rarely have to pay a shipping and handling cost.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
19 Dec 15
Yikes! That does not seem reasonable.
1 person likes this
@Missmwngi (12915)
• Nairobi, Kenya
19 Dec 15
Mmmi guess businesses always have a way of taking advantage of such small issues and make profit out of it
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Dec 15
@Missmwngi That was the reason that the legislation was passed in England.
1 person likes this
@Missmwngi (12915)
• Nairobi, Kenya
19 Dec 15
@Asylum Mmmh poor them
However i hope we had laws on plastic bags around here,they are so many and destroying the environment already
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
19 Dec 15
I rarely go out without a bag of my own to use for any purchases - I have a canvas rucksack with a few carrier bags tucked in its side pockets
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
23 Dec 15
@Asylum I do sometimes forget to take mine, or find it has holes in it when I do take it out - sometimes buying one is inevitable
1 person likes this
@OreoBrownie (3755)
• Commerce, Georgia
19 Dec 15
I don't use cloth bags. I don't go shopping, but my family doesn't. We never get charged for the plastic bags. When I did use the green Publix bags made of cloth we never got charged after first buying them.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91204)
• United States
19 Dec 15
So far we haven't been charged a fee for those bags here. It does seem unfair to have to pay for online delivery especially for those on a limited income
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Dec 15
This is where some logic should apply. In my case I am content to pay because it will not affect my standard of living and it is my choice to choose the convenient way. However, many people are struggling to live from week to week and should not need to pay for more than they receive.
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
19 Dec 15
I think you are correct. Perhaps such fees should be waived for the elderly and infirm.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Dec 15
@ElizabethWallace I wish that I could disagree, but I know that you are right.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
19 Dec 15
@Asylum I agree, but until those making the decisions are old and in need, it probably will not change.
1 person likes this
@ThankyouLord (698)
• St. Petersburg, Florida
19 Dec 15
Outrageous. Businesses will get their money (more than they need) one way or another. It's almost like, "Oh, you need our services? Well, fine. You will pay extra, because we are so greedy, but we just call it "doing business." "
I am not sure what a "carrier" bag is, unless it is like a bag you would get in the store to carry your purchases. Over here, it's just "bags." But how can they charge that online? Do they deliver your groceries in bags?
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
19 Dec 15
That just doesn't make sense. They are in the business to sell and if they make that charge most people with buy less.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Dec 15
Buying less online would not help because the same charge would apply if everything fit into 1 bag. This means that if someone ordered a carrier bag full of spirits for a party they would be charged for 8 bags.
It only makes a difference if you visit the store because you will pay for the number of bags used.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
19 Dec 15
@Asylum That is just not right. Food already costs to much
@Linlovefish (1)
• Jixi, China
20 Dec 15
It is unfair indeed. If they are going to charge on the bags, it should not base on the money we have spent in shopping, but actually the amount of bags we have taken
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
19 Dec 15
The fascist eco-terrorists have not gone so far as to charge us for plastic bags. I bring my re-usable bags to the store only when I think it will be advantageous to have bags that are more easily carried. I like the bags from the store because they fit the small trash bins and can be used as bin liners. I would be lost without them but I will never pay for them.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
19 Dec 15
Even if some costumers ordered a lot, they are also spending a lot of money and stores and supermarkets will gain more. There´s no reason to charge for the carrier bag no matter if you buy a pin or a truck.
1 person likes this
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
19 Dec 15
I feel sad to those old people who couldn't use the internet to their advantage. well, it's christmas and it only happens once in a while.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Dec 15
I have ordered that type of quantity in the past, particularly when I was working long hours. I used to empty the cupboards, the freezer and the fridge and place a large order to fill them up. Often I would add bleach, washing capsules etcetera to save carrying them in the future.
Of course many elderly who live alone and on a budget may use the system to avoid having to carry shopping at this time of year and order the minimum. This means that the vulnerable are suffering most.
@garymarsh6 (24126)
• United Kingdom
19 Dec 15
It used to annoy me in M&S when you had a load of stuff going through the scanner and they would ask if you would like a bag. NO don't worry I will carry it on my head. Of course I want a bag! Blimey. Mind you these days I do take hessian bags with me shopping if I remember. At first I would leave them in the kitchen or actually remember to take them but leave them in the car! GRRR.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Dec 15
I do pretty much the same these days. I have a few of those "bags for Life" which I often carry in my coat pocket, but recently it has rained so much that I leave them to dry and then forget. Each time I arrive at checkout and say " No thanks, I do not need a bag" then realise and have to ask for one.
