This came in in Ireland about 10 years ago. Was against it at first but now has my total support. Amazed when I am in UK and I see people ask for a plastic bag when they only have a carton of milk and probably a bag full of bags at home. Took a while but now a totally different mentality over here towards bags and waste in general.
I found the same whilst living in ireland. It's not hard to bring a bag with you after all.
Trying to reduce the amount of non degradable refuse is obviously a good thing but this carrier tax has taken a terribly one-eyed view of the issue. Yes it follows that if we take fewer crappy plastic bags from supermarkets then fewer will end up in landfill. The equally important issue is what these bags are made from - in this case naphtha - a by-product of the oil refining/petrol production business. You remember old pictures of oil platforms and derricks with the smoky yellow flame at the top? That was largely naphtha being burned off. Naphtha is horribly toxic and carcinogenic when burned. Burning it off at source has been much reduced because of the environmental concerns. Using it to make carrier bags has moved the "waste" from carcinogenic acid rain to landfill crap that never breaks down. The carriers cost almost nothing to produce as the major constituent has no other value. If our polythene bag demand is now drastically reduced what are we going to do with the ingredient we no longer need? Pump it into tanks and bury it? Who is going to pay for the witheringly expensive and hazardous process? No easy answers. The carrier tax is the usual knee-jerk half-baked politico lip service to a supposedly popular issue. What's required is people to change their behaviour viz: use less; re-use; recycle before discard and then discard as responsibly as possible. But politicians know that most citizens are self-absorbed nimbies who won't give a f"(k about anything until it costs them. I'll be very interested to learn where all the 5p's actually end up...
Generally, I'm in favour. People have been too ready to just grab a new bag and it's wasteful.
These days most of my bags are heavy duty jobbies that last for ages. (I can recommend the large bags from HiperDino on the Canary Islands. Apart from anything else there's the cute dinosaur on the side!)
But I've had a look at our legislation and there are clearly issues with the definition of a "single use carrier bag". Sensibly, the legislation includes exemptions for stuff like using a SUCB for otherwise unwrapped meat, and live aquatic animals. Including the goldfish thing obviously means they've given it some thought. But, there's no exemption for a bag for, say, firelighters or BBQ lighters which have to be wrapped in a separate bag to avoid tainting other shopping. There must be other examples too of stuff that you wouldn't want mingling with your food shopping?
Anyway, somewhat, ironic that this thread pops up on the very day that my local council deliver another huge supply of plastic bags for my food waste recycling (I don't have any, I eat my food.) and plastic waste recycling!
The food waste recycling bags should be biodegradable. You don't have any tops and ends of food that you cut off before cooking? You don't drink tea or coffee?
The food waste recycling bags should be biodegradable. You don't have any tops and ends of food that you cut off before cooking? You don't drink tea or coffee?
According to the United States Department of Environmental Protection somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.
Less than 1% are recycled.
China will save 32 million barrels of oil a year due it is ban on free plastic bags.
Plastic bags have been banned in Bangladesh and Rwanda, are taxed in Ireland, must be purchased in China and are either banned or there are proposals to ban them in Israel, Canada Western India, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Taiwan, and Singapore.
The food waste recycling bags should be biodegradable. You don't have any tops and ends of food that you cut off before cooking? You don't drink tea or coffee?
"And the process of biodegrading, which can only happen once the plastic has initially broken into smaller fragments, takes place slowly – many times slower than for compostable bags"
I don't think this article is about the bags you get from your council. I don't know what the bags from your council are like, but I think they would be compostable, rather than the biodegradable plastic carrier bags that some shops can give out, which are much stronger.
The food waste recycling bags should be biodegradable. You don't have any tops and ends of food that you cut off before cooking? You don't drink tea or coffee?
"And the process of biodegrading, which can only happen once the plastic has initially broken into smaller fragments, takes place slowly – many times slower than for compostable bags"
I don't think this article is about the bags you get from your council. I don't know what the bags from your council are like, but I think they would be compostable, rather than the biodegradable plastic carrier bags that some shops can give out, which are much stronger.
The food waste recycling bags should be biodegradable. You don't have any tops and ends of food that you cut off before cooking? You don't drink tea or coffee?
"And the process of biodegrading, which can only happen once the plastic has initially broken into smaller fragments, takes place slowly – many times slower than for compostable bags"
I don't think this article is about the bags you get from your council. I don't know what the bags from your council are like, but I think they would be compostable, rather than the biodegradable plastic carrier bags that some shops can give out, which are much stronger.
Thank you, I've looked - they are compostable.
You mean the buggers can catch fire! Best off rid of them then...
It's been quite normal outside London to pay 5p for a bag for years.
What? Sorry absolute rubbish the only places that ever charge are m&s and aldi
It's not rubbish. And there are shops other than M&S and Aldi. I've been asked to pay for bags in shops for years now in Plymouth, Wales and Yorkshire.
It's been quite normal outside London to pay 5p for a bag for years.
What? Sorry absolute rubbish the only places that ever charge are m&s and aldi
It's not rubbish. And there are shops other than M&S and Aldi. I've been asked to pay for bags in shops for years now in Plymouth, Wales and Yorkshire.
The food waste recycling bags should be biodegradable. You don't have any tops and ends of food that you cut off before cooking? You don't drink tea or coffee?
"And the process of biodegrading, which can only happen once the plastic has initially broken into smaller fragments, takes place slowly – many times slower than for compostable bags"
I don't think this article is about the bags you get from your council. I don't know what the bags from your council are like, but I think they would be compostable, rather than the biodegradable plastic carrier bags that some shops can give out, which are much stronger.
Thank you, I've looked - they are compostable.
You mean the buggers can catch fire! Best off rid of them then...
I saw some of them were flammable, so I ordered inflammable ones instead.
It's been quite normal outside London to pay 5p for a bag for years.
What? Sorry absolute rubbish the only places that ever charge are m&s and aldi
It's not rubbish. And there are shops other than M&S and Aldi. I've been asked to pay for bags in shops for years now in Plymouth, Wales and Yorkshire.
Fair enough, I wouldn't say it's quite normal though
Generally, I'm in favour. People have been too ready to just grab a new bag and it's wasteful.
These days most of my bags are heavy duty jobbies that last for ages. (I can recommend the large bags from HiperDino on the Canary Islands. Apart from anything else there's the cute dinosaur on the side!)
But I've had a look at our legislation and there are clearly issues with the definition of a "single use carrier bag". Sensibly, the legislation includes exemptions for stuff like using a SUCB for otherwise unwrapped meat, and live aquatic animals. Including the goldfish thing obviously means they've given it some thought. But, there's no exemption for a bag for, say, firelighters or BBQ lighters which have to be wrapped in a separate bag to avoid tainting other shopping. There must be other examples too of stuff that you wouldn't want mingling with your food shopping?
Anyway, somewhat, ironic that this thread pops up on the very day that my local council deliver another huge supply of plastic bags for my food waste recycling (I don't have any, I eat my food.) and plastic waste recycling!
These type of bags are already available and they are great value. sadly I always forget to take mine into the supermarket to I have about two dozen of them, but at 50p each that's only cost me £12.
I think the idea is a good one for the environment, I don't, actually, care where the money goes. It is difficult to expect people to make the best choices (even though I do which is why I have over 20 bags that will last me for 20 years) but make them pay and they will remember to take a bag - or have lots, like me.
Ha, I saw the title and I thought Len would be an early riser in this thread!
Think it's ridiculous to be honest. If a tax is to be applied them the company should be offering to pay it in turn for you then advertising the company. Next stage will be a premium service charge for one of their employees being so good as to process your items at the checkout instead of using self service
Last Saturday I acted like a lottery winner by buying a few bits from M&S food court. I then acted like a tramp by carrying said bits down Eltham High St as I refuse to pay for a plastic bag.
Just like with cigarettes, if they really cared they'd ban them completely.
"We need to reduce the amount of plastic bags we are producing and using." "You're right, let's ban them then. Imagine the difference it'll make." "Nah we won't ban them, let's just make some money off them instead".
Just like with cigarettes, if they really cared they'd ban them completely.
"We need to reduce the amount of plastic bags we are producing and using." "You're right, let's ban them then. Imagine the difference it'll make." "Nah we won't ban them, let's just make some money off them instead".
Just like Bangladesh and Rwanda, as detailed in my earlier post.
Ha, I saw the title and I thought Len would be an early riser in this thread!
Think it's ridiculous to be honest. If a tax is to be applied them the company should be offering to pay it in turn for you then advertising the company. Next stage will be a premium service charge for one of their employees being so good as to process your items at the checkout instead of using self service
Last Saturday I acted like a lottery winner by buying a few bits from M&S food court. I then acted like a tramp by carrying said bits down Eltham High St as I refuse to pay for a plastic bag.
But then it doesn't do it's job of discouraging people from using plastic bags?
Comments
It's not hard to bring a bag with you after all.
What's required is people to change their behaviour viz: use less; re-use; recycle before discard and then discard as responsibly as possible. But politicians know that most citizens are self-absorbed nimbies who won't give a f"(k about anything until it costs them.
I'll be very interested to learn where all the 5p's actually end up...
These days most of my bags are heavy duty jobbies that last for ages. (I can recommend the large bags from HiperDino on the Canary Islands. Apart from anything else there's the cute dinosaur on the side!)
But I've had a look at our legislation and there are clearly issues with the definition of a "single use carrier bag". Sensibly, the legislation includes exemptions for stuff like using a SUCB for otherwise unwrapped meat, and live aquatic animals.
Including the goldfish thing obviously means they've given it some thought. But, there's no exemption for a bag for, say, firelighters or BBQ lighters which have to be wrapped in a separate bag to avoid tainting other shopping. There must be other examples too of stuff that you wouldn't want mingling with your food shopping?
Anyway, somewhat, ironic that this thread pops up on the very day that my local council deliver another huge supply of plastic bags for my food waste recycling (I don't have any, I eat my food.) and plastic waste recycling!
In any event, this admittedly ancient article suggests so-called bio-degradable bags have a dubious environmental impact.
telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/7422006/Biodegradable-plastic-bags-may-not-be-as-eco-friendly-as-thought.html
Less than 1% are recycled.
China will save 32 million barrels of oil a year due it is ban on free plastic bags.
Plastic bags have been banned in Bangladesh and Rwanda, are taxed in Ireland, must be purchased in China and are either banned or there are proposals to ban them in Israel, Canada Western India, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Taiwan, and Singapore.
"And the process of biodegrading, which can only happen once the plastic has initially broken into smaller fragments, takes place slowly – many times slower than for compostable bags"
I don't think this article is about the bags you get from your council. I don't know what the bags from your council are like, but I think they would be compostable, rather than the biodegradable plastic carrier bags that some shops can give out, which are much stronger.
I think the idea is a good one for the environment, I don't, actually, care where the money goes. It is difficult to expect people to make the best choices (even though I do which is why I have over 20 bags that will last me for 20 years) but make them pay and they will remember to take a bag - or have lots, like me.
Think it's ridiculous to be honest. If a tax is to be applied them the company should be offering to pay it in turn for you then advertising the company. Next stage will be a premium service charge for one of their employees being so good as to process your items at the checkout instead of using self service
Last Saturday I acted like a lottery winner by buying a few bits from M&S food court. I then acted like a tramp by carrying said bits down Eltham High St as I refuse to pay for a plastic bag.
"We need to reduce the amount of plastic bags we are producing and using."
"You're right, let's ban them then. Imagine the difference it'll make."
"Nah we won't ban them, let's just make some money off them instead".