The 5p Plastic Bag Charge: All You Need To Know - BBC News

[Diello]

There is evidence already that charging for shopping bags does make a difference. There was a huge drop in their use since they started charging in Wales. Lower use means less waste going to landfill. Many things governments do is to change behaviour. Things like different Vehicle Excise Duty for different levels of polluting vehicles, or tax on cigarettes. Putting a charge on bags is not much work for the government, but will make a real difference to waste. Other things they could do is legislate on types of packaging that can be used - eg. mandate less packaging.

 

Put basically, this rule has a great cost benefit outcome - little cost, quite a lot of outcome.

 

Hmm... I suppose putting a monetary value on them does help... Same as when we make staff pay for damage to equipment from their departmental budget... all of a sudden they take more care where they couldn't before. Would have just been better if the supermarkets could have managed the situation on there own, without the state intervening - my Libertarian leanings showing through - the nanny state immediately gets my heckles up! Though I don't agree that VED or tax on cigarettes is anything to do with trying to change our behaviour, it's about raking in the tax pounds - if everyone suddenly stopped smoking, the Government would put up taxes elsewhere. I did just get to walk around Waitroses with Sainsburys bags though, much to the looks of some of the staff, so there's another advantage!

[6Foot2]

 

Link: https://twitter.com/_youhadonejob/status/651023223803482113

[SovietRussia]

We have had it in Wales for a few years, at the start it seemed silly and an inconvenience but now, you are just used to it. Funny thing is when you go to McDonalds and say no to a 5p bag, and get your chips in a smaller bag because they are unwrapped fast food and are exempt from the bag levy.

[difinity]

Perhaps the government should be putting it's energies into a properly thought out country recycling scheme. My local council recycles plastic bags so there is no need for them to be in landfill anyway. Disposable nappies can be recycled, as can food waste so what does that leave left going into the ground ?

Plastic can be made from hemp and is biodegradable.

[6Foot2]

Link: Tesco to end sales of 5p carrier bags

 

The UK’s largest retailer is to stop selling “single use” 5p carrier bags in its UK stores from the end of the month, instead offering shoppers reusable “bags for life” costing 10p...

[Edu-IT]

Link: Tesco to end sales of 5p carrier bags

Is that because they make money on them and not the others?