Sunday 9 October 2011

Would you like a bag with that?

Last week a new law came into effect here in Wales.   No longer can free bags be given when you make a purchase.  If you want a bag you have to pay at least 5p, usually with the proceeds going to charity.


In principle, I'm in favour.  They've been doing it on the Continent for years!!  That's why shops like Aldi and Lidl don't provide free bags.  It encourages you to reuse your shopping bags - providing you can remember them!  However, British bureaucracy being what it is, it just couldn't be that simple, could it?


Firstly, it's only in Wales.  That's great if you live in the middle of Wales.  If you live on the borders like I do, then you have to remember which country you are in when you go shopping!


Secondly, someone decided to make the law really complicated.  Semi packed foods can be sold in a bag.  However, you add a packaged food to that bag, you have to pay for it.  This means that when you go to McDonalds, you can have your fries in a free bag (they count as semi packaged).  You add a cheeseburger to that bag and you have to pay!


Thirdly, we now don't get green clubcard points when we shop at Tesco :(


So while I quite agree in cutting down the use of plastic bags, I do feel that it could have been put into practice in a better way.

3 comments:

  1. Oh God, I didn't think about the green clubcard points! Bum!

    It's a good law in theory but in practise it's silly. What if you went and spent (not that I would) £150 on a really nice silk dress in Karen Millen? Does that go into your Asda bag for life?

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  2. How sad, you won't be getting your green clubcard points. What a crying shame!

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  3. it's amazing how brave ppl can be when they can hide behind 'anonymous'!!!

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