http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24088523

I'd be hopeful that this will be collectively opposed in England - the figures are absolute bollocks as far as NI is concerned at least. You only have to walk into a Tesco to see people still buying the plastic bags in their droves. Or say you walk into a clothing store, or Easons or WH Smith, who isn't going to take a bag for their purchase considering UK weather? Not to mention that people tend to line the kitchen bin with them , Christ, we give ours to the cleaners in work!

There has been no reduction in the amount of plastic bags lying around in Belfast or elsewhere in Northern Ireland that I've seen, I'll tell you that much. And we're hit for just about every bag.

We've got a huge stash of bags at home, so this won't affect us for a while.
Having sadi that we do use them instead of bin liners in all teh small bins in the house, so we'll get through them eventually.

I thought this had already been introduced on a voluntary basis? Certainly there are a few places I've been where they charge you for using bags.

I already re-use carrier bags as rubbish bags. I can't understand why they move to a recyclable/biodegradable version?

M&S do as I recall.


They could but it would minisculely affect their profits.

what's a plastic bag? a granny that has had face surgery?

Well places like Aldi and Lidl charge for their bags, and like you I use any carrier bags for rubbish bags. Most of the time I use my cotton bags for life from the Co-op and have done for years, but occasionally forget to take it. Most of the time I order online and opt for bagless deliveries anyway. So it will not really impact me apart from the lack of free bin bags.

They have been charging over here for nearly a decade. Most people use fold boxes or baskets. I use carrier bags when I buy my lunch. The current one is about 3 months old...

Yeah, charge for them, but the frikkin quality had better improve!

We get the supermarket plastic bags but, as mentioned, we use them to line the kitchen bins; as do millions of other people. So, what? Stop us from using shopping bags, so we start buying bin liners? Yeah, that'll save the planet.

I think that there are many people who simply do not give a damn either way. When my big Asda started charging for them I bought a mass of bin bags and still have them. If I shop with my bags for life I avoid new carriers but occasionally there is no option but to use them. Even my local butcher supplies carrier bags, though most of the time I have my own bag. If they are going to charge I agree that the quality needs to improve. Though why not make bags for life more common?

[LIFTED] like me who never bring a bag to go shopping and would absolutely not notice an extra 10p on the price of their next trip.

You know what I mean?

Cloth bags and wicker shopping baskets are very common over here, as a fold boxes - although they are only useful if you drive to the shops. Cloth bags and baskets are much better if you are walking or on the bike; a lot of people either use either saddle bags put the cloth bags in the trailer of their bike.

We talk about supermarkets and shopping a lot here don't we?

It's because it's something everyone has to do on a regular basis one way or another.

My plan is to collect together the enormous pile of carrier bags I have stuffed in a kitchen cupboard and stand outside Sainsburys selling them for 3P each. Let's see how much they like someone doing it to them.