Controversial bag charge a success as shoppers will use 6 billion fewer plastic bags

[Stephen]

Somehow I get the feeling that most of Arthur's OP is not factually accurate and also I am sure I have seen it posted before?

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Taf

The charge is also levies on paper bags.

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...harge-for-bags

There are some cases where retailers aren’t required to charge you for a bag:

• paper bags
• shops in airports, or on board trains, aeroplanes or ships
• bags which only contain 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

[Stephen]

Ok indeed Arthur already started a thread on the same subject.

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/20...es-page-6.html

[Taf]

Originally Posted by Chris

Paper bags are significantly heavier than plastic ones and therefore have a greater environmental cost in their transport, not to mention the tree-felling and bleaching that goes on during manufacture. They are also single use.

And the store glossy magazines? Lots of trees in them...

Originally Posted by Taf

And the store glossy magazines? Lots of trees in them...

There's a cost to everything. The issue here is the balance between cost and benefit, and whether something can be done differently. A single use paper bag is a trivial item that can be easily replaced with a reusable one made of polyester weave. A glossy magazine can't be replaced, even by a tablet, given the way it is used.

[Mr K]

The charge is long overdue, but there are always those looking to profit. Notice the pound shops are now charging 10p for slightly better bags rather than their usual 5p rubbish, deliberately designed to last for 2 mins. Wonder if all this 10p is going to 'environmental causes'? Once the principle of a charge has been introduced, it's easily increased/added to.

[BenMcr]

There is no actual legal requirement for any shop that charges for a bag to pass the charge on to anywhere else.

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...s-will-be-used

How the proceeds will be used
This is not a tax and the money from the charge does not go to the government.

We expect retailers to donate the proceeds of the scheme to good causes, but it is for them to choose what to do, and which causes to support. Retailers will need to report to us about what they do with the money from the charge, and we will publish this information each year.

The charge in Wales has already generated millions of pounds for good causes.

The first report is now available via the above page ( https://www.gov.uk/government/public...rom-the-scheme )

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Mr K

Notice the pound shops are now charging 10p for slightly better bags rather than their usual 5p rubbish, deliberately designed to last for 2 mins. Wonder if all this 10p is going to 'environmental causes'? Once the principle of a charge has been introduced, it's easily increased/added to.

10p each?!

Do the pound shops sell a box of 100 carrier bags for £1?

Why not?

The only money the government is the VAT the rest is mostly donated to charity or good causes

Marks and Spencer, who started charging for plastic bags in all its stores in 2007, split the revenues from the bags - with half going to a selection of national charities and the other half going to a community cause chosen instore.

In recent years they have supported MacMillan Cancer Support, Breast Cancer Now and the Marine Conservation Society

Last month, Tesco announced it would donate the expected £30m windfall to 2,500 local projects around the country from parks to sports facilities and community gardens,

But the legislation does not state that stores must pass on the money raised and employers can deduct costs and training from that revenue before donating

.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bu...-a6679811.html


Incidentally only shops with more that 250 employees are forced by law to charge

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

There is no actual legal requirement for any shop that charges for a bag to pass the charge on to anywhere else.

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...s-will-be-used



The first report is now available via the above page ( https://www.gov.uk/government/public...rom-the-scheme )

Interesting, I wasn't aware of that.

Incidentally, Ocado & Morrisons online customers are charged, but any bags returned are credited back to their account

[Hom3r]

We bought the heavy duty bags that Tesco & Salisbury's do, they've cost about £3 but will last many years.

[Osem]

I must say it's such hard work being forced to either think about taking bags when going shopping or having to cope with the huge cost of buying a couple. I don't know how I've coped without being forced to use the local food bank...

[Taf]

Tesco have a set a charge for bags for home delivery even if none are used I was told recently.

Originally Posted by Taf

Tesco have a set a charge for bags for home delivery even if none are used I was told recently.

Unless the shopper selects 'bagless delivery'.

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/zones...gless-delivery

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Taf

Tesco have a set a charge for bags for home delivery even if none are used I was told recently.

They all do this AFAIK, I guess it would be simply too administrative to literally count how many bags each customer uses.