Englishman in Wales, I think it's brill!
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5 pence per carrier bag in Wales from today
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Posted 7 months ago #
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I seem to remember it working quite well (in terms of the dramatic reduction in bags being issued) in Ireland. Could have been an interesting thread if people had ignored CM...
Posted 7 months ago # -
Just to put plastic bags in perspective - my store uses on average 10,000 a DAY, (no not a typo).
So to all u lazy **** out there who can't be bothered to take a bag,I hope the next loose one curls round yer front hub an punts ya into the nearest ditch.Stop whining and take your own bags with you, - my company will VERY HAPPILY take your 5p and use it to further global expansion (and pay my wages).Posted 7 months ago # -
The welsh thing is complete greenwash.
Ask yourself this. How much does a carrier bag weigh? Well my nice JS Orange ones come in at 5g on my scales. So I would need approx 200 to weigh a kilo.
Now we all know that carrier bags are made from the same stuff as petrol, oil...lovely sticky black stuff.Now petrol has a specific gravity of approx .74 so a kilo of fuel will get you 1.35 litres.
Assuming you have an average car, lets say 40mpg, then that 1.35 litres is going to get you 12.1miles or 19.4km if you are under 30 years old.So remember that that 1.35litres of fuel could have made 200 carrier bags. Thats 200 carrier bags for every 19.4km you drive.
To put it another way you car uses the equivalent of one carrierbag for every 100m you drive the **** thing!
Charging for carrier bags is greenwash at its worst. Until we stop sucking up huge amounts of stored dinosaur juice and wasting it on stuff then we really are wasting our time.
Give me free carrier bags, and let me drive a little less as a result
[and breath]
Posted 7 months ago # -
Give me free carrier bags, and let me drive a little less as a result
sorry ? how does being motivated to re use carrier bags or use a reusable alternative mean that you will automatically drive more ?
Posted 7 months ago # -
I do reuse carrier bags. What I am saying is that in the grand scheme of things its a complete waste of time to worry about using a few carrier bags while we continue to use vast amounts of the same stuff moving large heavy metal boxes (which I am very guilty of doing).
Posted 7 months ago # -
We use carrier bags as our kitchen bin. If I don't get them free, I'm going to have to buy some. Net environmental saving - nil.
Posted 7 months ago # -
I'm more for the reduced litter argument than bringing global warming to an end a week sooner, hopefully it'll be one less piece of needless packaging I'll see in bushes/trees/forestry car parks/national parks...etc
Posted 7 months ago # -
Could have been an interesting thread if people had ignored CM.
or not started calling him names, or not start making unsubstantiated claims, or not started making up things about him.
Posted 7 months ago # -
I'm for it. It'll be slightly annoying when I forget to bring the reusable bags, but then it'll give me something to remember.
Those Bag for Life things...never realised how good they were til I got a voucher for some freebie ones a couple of years ago. 5 or 6 of them will carry about £80 of shopping and fit nicely in the trolley and the boot, and when I can't park near my house, it only takes a couple of trips to carry it all in and I still have feeling in my fingers afterwards. And I can walk to the smaller closer supermarket half a mile away and still buy a decent amount of stuff without having to struggle on the way back home or triple bag anything with sharp corners
Posted 7 months ago # -
CharlieMungus said:
You're a moron.
Quite apt that, about Wales. You just called him a carrot.
Posted 7 months ago # -
scratch, I agree that any stuff litteing the outdoors is an eyesore, however I don't think that litter is what is driving this Welsh policy.
If it was litter then how about 3p on a canned drink, and 10p on a pizza box and 20p on a styrofoam takaway box. Oh and 2p on every piece of candy packaging. That would cover most of what I see littering the streets of Leeds. Don't see many carrier bags.I am all for saving the planet and cutting litter, but carrier bags is NOT where to start, the only thing it reduces is middle class guilt.
Posted 7 months ago # -
and 12 pence on every syringe
Posted 7 months ago # -
CHB - Member
If it was litter then how about 3p on a canned drink, and 10p on a pizza box and 20p on a styrofoam takaway box. Oh and 2p on every piece of candy packaging. That would cover most of what I see littering the streets of Leeds. Don't see many carrier bags.Posted 7 minutes ago # Report-Post
TESCO, are slowly installing machines at their recycling banks at cart parks, that pay out clubcard points for recycling cans and plastic bottles.
Posted 7 months ago # -
CHB - Member
The welsh thing is complete greenwash.For someone who clearly has a vague grasp of mathematics, you've exhibited some astounding stupidity if you think it's just the oil in the bag itself that's the reasoning. Sure, it's a small part of it, as is the much larger amount required to provide the energy for the manufacture of said bag. What's the issue is the damage they cause to the environment directly.
An obvious example is that when floating in the ocean, to a turtle, they look pretty much like a jellyfish....
Posted 7 months ago # -
That would cover most of what I see littering the streets of Leeds.
Can we start recycling fag ends?
Posted 7 months ago # -
Posted 7 months ago #
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An obvious example is that when floating in the ocean, to a turtle, they look pretty much like a jellyfish..
Yeah! Obvious!
Posted 7 months ago # -
Where does the money go?
Posted 7 months ago # -
charidee mate!
Posted 7 months ago # -
all for it, should go further and make all the money go to litter picking / recycling / tree planting / "green" charities and schemes.
Posted 7 months ago # -
That's nothing, they cose way more over here in Ireland.
Posted 7 months ago # -
then you should come here and buy your plastic bags
Posted 7 months ago # -
or think of the turtles...
Posted 7 months ago # -
Zokes, thanks for your affectionate and reasoned reply.
You are right I didn't include the energy to make the bag.
I do know enough about polyethylene production and extruded PE films to know that the energy input needed to make the bag is less than the amount of material in the bag. But lets assume its the same. So now you can drive your car 200m for the energy impact of a carrier bag.As for the turtles, well I shop at Sainsburys, and frankly if the little ninja feckers can't see a bright orange JS bag then I suggest Darwin is at work.
Posted 7 months ago # -
They can see them, it's just that they think they are yummy jellyfish
Posted 7 months ago # -
Do you get orange jellyfish with writing on?
Posted 7 months ago # -
No, but the bags float upside down and so the turtles can't read them
Posted 7 months ago # -
Oh thats OK then, mine are always thrown away with Labrador poo in the bottom, so they would be the right way up, and probably sink.
Just googled, there are orange jellyfish! None look like a JS carrierbag.On a more sensible note, can anyone quantify the effect on UK carrierbags entering the oceans of the world? Let alone killing Turtles? Compared with the brutal fishing methods employed accross the world I suspect the effect is minimal, but am happy to see evidence if someone has it.
The other thing to consider with all plastics is the effect of micronised plastics in the foodchain.
Still compared with the vast amounts of fuel and other plastic crud we use I stand by the point that carrierbags are just a sop to calm middleclass guilt.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Orange check.
Writing check.
Plastic check.
Would you?
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ok, back to the B&Q issue, i accept, I'd pay 5 pence to put my tools in that.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Yes, I would happily throw her into the ocean to be consumed by invertebrates. Bony runt would probably sink though.
Posted 7 months ago # -
....and definately not a bag for life.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Following on from the turtles bit...
Posted 7 months ago # -
I can see the point of charging for plastic bags. And if it reduces the number full of dogshit tied to hedges all the better. I can't, however, see the point of charging for paper ones. I mean, they're already biodegradable, as soon as it rains they start to disintegrate. Seems utterly stupid.
Posted 7 months ago #
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