On Sun, 7 May 2006 14:22:43 +0100, K wrote:

Paul Corfield writes
On Sat, 06 May 2006 21:42:02 +0100, Rhiannon Macfie Miller
wrote:

It's not a supermarket, but I'd like to draw attention to B&Q, which
withdrew free plastic bags over a year ago – mainly as a cost saving but
also for the environmental benefits. I've noted on recent visits that
the lack of bags doesn't appear to bother people. I was also in
Homebase today and they didn't offer me a bag (for my one small item)
either.

Which is all jolly lovely if you happen to have turned up in your car
and you can push your purchases on a trolley to load up. Not providing
bags other than those of thimble size is hopeless for people who may be
walking, cycling or taking public transport (the more environmentally
friendly forms of transport) who need something convenient to carry
their purchases home in. And yes if it was a planned visit you might
take a bag with you but their policy does not work if the visit is an
impromptu one.


A small charge (say 10p) would be a deterrent to picking up half a dozen
plastic bags with your weekly shop, and might be enough persuade you to
tuck a bag in your pocket on a planned shop, but won't break the bank if
you finding yourself needing to make an unplanned purchase.

The charge would be fine if the bags were sufficiently strong not to
deteriorate before you get your purchases home. I have two "bags for
life" which normally cope with the weekly shop and get reused each week
as they are up to the task. There is no point in keeping a normal
supermarket or B&Q carrier bag because they are flimsy and drop to bits
and cannot be reused. A charge for something useless would be wrong IMO.
--
Paul C