Cinnamon Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) This is something I am very aware of,as in my work I see hundreds of bags go out of the doors each shift I am on. Older people are pretty good at bringing their own bags in to pack up,as are a lot of the young,but there seems to be a tribe of people between the ages of 30 & 50 who don't see why they should be reusing their bags. A chap yesterday merrily brayed at me that 'we are not green!',getting his 2 young sons to join in,then double bagged everything Another woman a few weeks ago packed each of her 20 or so items in an individual bag,then proceeded to put those bags into her rucksack - mad! A particular couple,known to we checkout slaves as 'that odd bag couple' will not use any plastic bag that has been touched by a cashier. They ask for a new roll of them,use way too many,then as they leave the store (they always pay at the first or second checkout),they grab as many bags as they can from the checkouts they pass. They once bought 12 bags for life from me......I thought they must have finally had a carrier bag revelation,but they then put the bags for life into 4 of the notmal carrier bags to carry out of the store I have been known to suggest to people who have left their reuseable bags in the car,that they put their shopping back into their trolley & bag it up in their boot,or that they pop out & grab their bags before I start putting their shopping through. Mostly they say no Personally,I would like us to charge for bags...............what do you think? Edited August 3, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'd like to see them s"Ooops, word censored!"ped altogtether. That would make people use their own, preferably non plastic ones. The impact, if we continue doling them out, on wildlife is too high a price to pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 That would be my ultimate aim too,but I think it would have to be introduced slowly,or it could really backfire. By charging now,supermarkets can reduce the amount they dole out by 80-90%,PLUS they could donate the charged money to charity. I would love to see this,with a view to total banning within 3 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 My parents refuse to use their own bags. My Mother thinks cloth bags are full of germs. and will contaminate the food. I have tried to convince them but I'm . I would love to see a 5p charge for all plastic bags at tills. Sage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I think all shops should adopt a lidl/aldi policy of charging for bags, and not allowing packing at the checkout to speed the queue up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I think we should charge for plastic bags too. Bags for life (cloth, sturdy plastic etc) are so cheap and easily available nowadays that there really is little excuse not to use them. It really irritates me to see customers at the checkouts packing their shopping so badly that they only put 3-4 things in each bag including things multipacks of crisps (which for some reason always seem to need a bag of their own?!). As a bag for life user, I also find it annoying that I have to subsidise the cost of other people's plastic bags through my shopping. No-one complains in Aldi or Lidl that they have to pay for bags or use their own, we'd all soon get used to it if all the major supermarkets followed suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I am 100% behind this - I'm sure when I was a nipper in the 70s/80s , people had their own shopping bags (something more sturdy than a plastic carrier bag) and didn't expect to be given them by the supermarkets. If they needed a bag, supermarkets would issue a plastic one but would charge for it. I'm sure we only started to get free bags when supermarkets introduced the sort of "vest" carriers that they use now? My mum says I'm wrong, but I'm sure that's how it was then???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Oh yes, and another thing !!! Why have supermarkets stopped leaving cardboard boxes out for customers to use to pack groceries? We all need boxes from time to time (and not JUST to put new chickens in! ) we could pack groceries in them and then reuse them for something else but shops just squash them when they're empty now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 We have just had to remove the old wine boxes we used to have on the shop floor. 'Elf & Safety said they were a trip or fire risk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I think all shops should adopt a lidl/aldi policy of charging for bags, and not allowing packing at the checkout to speed the queue up I didn't know Lidl didn't allow packing at the tills! We always pack our bags as the stuff gets scanned. I don't think we hold people up I agree about the free bags. I forget my bags sometimes, and feel awful for asking for bags. However, when we go to Lidls, we always have bags, or if like on the one occasion we didn't, we bought some. I remember shops charging customers for plastic bags when I was little, and I think they should start charging for them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I think they should charge. I am guilty of forgetting my bags sometimes, and I know if there was a charge it would help remind me! But in return, make them strong enough to hold shopping in. Some are fine (Waitrose springs to mind), while others are so weak even their own delivery service double bag (Te$co). Not convinced that helps the situation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) I didn't know Lidl didn't allow packing at the tills! That's what the shelves are for at the front of the store when you come out of the checkouts edited to fix quote Edited August 3, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 I once had a bottle of wine fall through a Tesco bag,in the car park,behind my car. It smashed by my foot & a shard of glass went inbetween my toes - I was shouting for help from the trolley boy,but he had an i-pod on So I bled my way across the car park & into store,where I was eventually helped (not even given a chair either) Got back to my car & the mess hadn't been cleared away,so I couldn't reverse out,so had to hobble my way back into store again to get that sorted I NEVER forget my own bags now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I won't take shopping backs with me when I go shopping carrier bags get take to the lottie then get used as bin bags goverment wants me to stop useing plastic bags fine they should get on and ban them out right and bring in brown papper block bottom bags then I can use them for storeing my spuds in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I cannot understand why when we are apparently trying to reduce the number of plastic bags I get about six charity bags through the door each week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I won't take shopping backs with me when I go shopping carrier bags get take to the lottie then get used as bin bagsgoverment wants me to stop useing plastic bags fine they should get on and ban them out right and bring in brown papper block bottom bags then I can use them for storeing my spuds in I'm sure many people can find a use for a plastic carrier bag - but it's stubborn people that mean the government would face 'uproar' if they 'infringed' upon their right to cause landfill problems long after they're dead and their grandchildren and great grandchildren etc are living in that sort of envrionment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'd like to see them s"Ooops, word censored!"ped altogtether. That would make people use their own, preferably non plastic ones. The impact, if we continue doling them out, on wildlife is too high a price to pay. I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I was actually complemented on my choice of reuseable bag today. A friend gave me a really nice Fizbag for Christmas. The shop assistant said how nice it was and how neatly it fitted into its little pouch and hardly took up any space. I was too embarrassed to admit that it takes me ages to pack it down that small and normally needs two or three attempts. Once it is finally in the pouch though it is very small and it looks pretty snazzy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I cannot understand why when we are apparently trying to reduce the number of plastic bags I get about six charity bags through the door each week I agree, i do try and leave the empty bag out if I have nothing to put in it but the empty bags are rarely collected. I do wish they would co-ordinate amongst themselves s sometimes I get several within the space of a few days and then it can be several months before I get any again. I get cross with the people who put out bags that are designed to look like they are for a charity but on closer inspection it is a commercial organisation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I agree, i do try and leave the empty bag out if I have nothing to put in it but the empty bags are rarely collected. Down my road it seems that the full ones are often not collected either, they often sit by the side of the road for a few days. A friend's mum volunteers at one of the charity shops and they can apparently make use of the bags, even if they are not for her charity, so every time I see her she ends up with a handful of my bags! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I was actually complemented on my choice of reuseable bag today. A friend gave me a really nice Fizbag for Christmas. The shop assistant said how nice it was and how neatly it fitted into its little pouch and hardly took up any space. I was too embarrassed to admit that it takes me ages to pack it down that small and normally needs two or three attempts. Once it is finally in the pouch though it is very small and it looks pretty snazzy! I have some of these on order from Nigel's Eco Store but my order has been delayed as the Radflek I ordered is out of stock until next week I also ordered an eco kettle but I'm having to wait for that too I just want to go shopping in style Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I just want to go shopping in style I'm sorry to hear that It will be worth the wait I'm sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I agree - charging for bags is the way forward. I bought some books yesterday at Waterstones, where I've just taken out a loyalty card, and to my surprise I was told I could have five extra loyalty points for having taken my own bag! I have a neat little foldy bag that lives in my handbag and takes up almost no space. When I do a big shop at Waitrose, I'm registered on their Quickcheck system where you scan your own shopping, and you can pack it straight into your bags, nice sturdy green jute ones that they supplied when I signed up. If I do have to take any plastic bags I always re-use them. I even take the plastic envelopes of junk mail and use it for covering seedlings, wrapping sandwiches etc - however my local authority will recycle plastic bags, so anything surplus goes in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 In every handbag I own I have some bags for life folded up so that if I do a bit of unexpected shopping I have them handy. I also have Onya bags which are quite handy, I've shared them out (I think you get about 5 or 6). If I ever forget to take my big sturdy shopping bags into the store with me then I end up buying new sturdy bags, you can never have too many in my opinion. My corner shop always asks if you need a bag instead of automatically putting them into a plastic bag which is good. I also get lots of charity bags, I don't leave them outside, they never get picked up. I've had a bag of clothes stolen from outside my house so I just fill them and take them to the shop now. I reuse the ones that I've not used for the charity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I totally agree with charging for plastic bags. It disgusts me how cavalier some people are at the supermarket with the amount of bags they use . I have 4 or 5 large supermarket bags for life and a wee folding one in my handbag too. The Dutch seem to manage in their supermarkets - you have to use your own or their sturdy paper bags there . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
