Carrier bag charge

I wouldn't mind paying for carrier bags so long as
1) I wasn't paying to advertise the store name on them
2) the money raised was guaranteed to go to charity and not into the shop profits.

We take our own bags anyway when we do the big shop (aren't we great?), so it wouldn't bother me if they charged for plastic bags.

We keep the reuseable bags in the boot of the car. And I dont like to pay for bags unless I absolutely 100% need a bag and havent got any other way of transporting my goods home. But thats not to say shops shouldnt charge. We need to change our thinking about free bags.

I've been collecting the free carrier bags (by request) for when Foodbank opens for business, they are going to need plenty.

Nice one, anyone else want to get rid of those clogging up their drawers?

They're not really free though. The shops put the bag's cost into their profit margins, so having to pay again means you're essentially paying twice.

Plus the bags cost less than a penny each for them to buy so it just seems to be a way for them to profit from "being (seen to be) green".

I think 5p is a cheek especially when its going in their till, where is that 'being green'?

Tesco give you points if you reuse your bags

I trhink the reason for charging for carrier bags is to encourage to reuse the bags they have. Worked in Ireland the plastic bag use in supermarkets dropped by 80%.

Shops and stores in Wales charge 5p a bag too but I think their 5p's go to charity.

Yes Charly - quite correct - been that way for two years - BUT - used bags are not charged for and the money for the new bags is unaccountable which means it is down to the shop keepers honesty to pass it on to charity. It's that old - don't regulate theme again. Leave it to the homosapien for he can be trusted not to be a scoundrel.

I cant see how it would be monitored unless the stores count the bags at beginning and end of opening hours or charge seperately and use a different till for bags only.
As you say Atlas, its up to the shopkeepers honesty in handing it over.