Don't be such a tightwad Arthur, it's only 5p per bag. You can easily avoid the charge by taking a bag with you when you shop
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Wales, Scotland and NI have been charging for plastic bags for years and the environment is noticeably better for it. No plastic bags in hedgerows, floating in the sea or blowing around your town when discarded by louts.
I think it's good to make people think twice about littering.