Could we ban single use carrier bags in ED?

[NicoleChampion]

Totnes in Devon did it.. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/may/12/uknews.waste

Could it be done in ED? How?

There would obviously be some exceptions (butchers/fishmongers)..

Thoughts please!

[Nigello]

A project a few years ago tackled this. Search "Monica" and "SNUB" on this forum for more. It was reasonably successfull but until there is a national (or London) ban I doubt most people will voluntarily go along. SE22/15/23/21 etc are not typical of the UK trend.

[Jeremy]

We've been here before with the "SNUB" campaign.

It was largely a good idea. But one (now gone) wine retailer didn't stock bags of any kind and seemed to piss off a few people. Think you need to be careful not to be too militant.

[Penguin68]

Legislation is being (has been?) introduced to require charging for single use bags issued by shops in England - this will tend to price the habit out of the market.

I must hardly be alone in re-using 'single-use' bags e.g. for bagging non-recyclable rubbish. Any I get are re-used at least one.

'Banning' things in general I find questionable - (other than e.g. murder) - it tends to become an opportunity for those in power to exercise their own prejudices. The Taliban, and ISIS, are good at banning things they don't like, such as music and dance. And many people.

[Mustard]

Ditto to what Penguin68 said. I reuse most of my bags, unless they split.

[womanofdulwich]

We re -use all our bags, and use proper bigger bags when we do a supermarket shop.

If single use bags are done away with , you can bet that shop prices will not drop and we will have to buy little bags to replace them as bin liners, sports shoes containers, picking up rubbish etc.

[GinaG3]

I reuse bags or hand back to the driver who delivers my shopping for recycling. If I know I'm specifically going out for shopping I will take a jute bag with me. Its about people being making that conscious decision, and there is a problem that a lot of people won't. I don't think a ban would be the way forward.

A levy on single use carrier bags will be introduced in England in October 2015 but will only cover large businesses, I think small and medium businesses are exempt.

[muffins78]

I reuse all my bags and like everyone says banning them won't really work. In Ireland, you pay for any bags you get from the likes of Tesco etc., 5 cents - if youve not brought your own. Other retailers use paper bags

[EDLove]

Many French supermarkets already don't offer plastic bags - it does become habit to bring a bag if you can't rely on the option of purchasing one.

The result for France: between 2002 and 2011, the number of plastic bags passed out in supermarkets dropped to 700 million from 10.5 billion. As a result, they are moving to ban all plastic bags from supermarkets as of 2016.

I think it's a good idea (and in no way comparable with Isis banning music and dance...??). If it's damaging the environment, our health, etc then it's right that steps are taken to reduce and eventually ban.

http://www.dw.de/french-government-bans-plastic-bags-from-supermarkets/a-17738789

I think America is cottoning on too...

http://www.earth-policy.org/plan_b_updates/2014/update122

The America article also briefly discusses the many ways in which plastic bags are sh*t. Ban them.

[Penguin68]

I think it's a good idea (and in no way comparable with Isis banning music and dance...??).

That's your opinion - as it is the Taliban's and ISIS's about music and dance. You want to ban different things than them, but you want to ban stuff that you don't like. So do they. And they have their god on their side, you just have your own prejudices. Does personal belief trump god? Many would think not.

[StraferJack]

None of this matters anyway - not until Lousia comes along and tells everyone The Truth

but comparing banning plastic bags to IS banning dance and music is nuts

All manner of small levers are being pulled in an effort to slow down environmental pollution - unless... unless you thing all of that is hoeey and just a "belief"?

[Jeremy]

I gotta say, Penguin... the comparison to religion (let alone hardline fundamentalist movements) seems strange to me.

At least the belief that bags are harmful is based on things that actually exist.

[Jeremy]

Although saying that, I agree that a ban is excessive... if I can't pop into a shop for an impromptu purchase, may as well just buy everything online.

[northlondoner]

The very idea makes me feel like double bagging at the next opportunity.

[TheCat]

Why would you want to ban them?

[Louisa]

I'm with Penguin here, banning anything is a slippery road into dictatorship. I for the life of me still struggle to understand why smoking was banned in pubs all those years ago. Many people still enjoy the smoke filled atmosphere of a proper boozer, all taken away from us because of some ridiculous politically correct dictatorial ban aimed at harming the very institutions which made money at the heart of the community, the pub. If you ban plastic bags what's next? Shall we ban religious freedom? Shall we ban people smiling in public places? How about alcohol? Ridiculous. No I'm on the side of free plastic bags,especially in a day and age when the high street is struggling, I would allow free parking in town centres and free plastic bags in shops and supermarkets to increase footfall.

Louisa.

[JohnL]

Not sure, but I hear theres not much bang in this buck.

Maybe I'm rough with them - but my "lifetime bags" fall apart after three trips or so.

So effectively - I'll be paying slightly more for a thick plastic bag - I will then throw after a few weeks.

[StraferJack]

to take your logic Louisa - take EVERYTHING that's illegal now, and work back through time and make it legal again

Still happy?

or have you realised that sometimes a rubicon is crossed and enough people no longer want something and wish their lawmakers to enact a ban?

[Nigello]

Banning placcy bags is a great way of conning yourself into thinking that you're "doing your bit". Better by far to buy less of the crap (including food that is eventually wasted) to fill bags - jute, paper or polythene - in the first place. If you can get energised about reusing carrier bags (it really doesn't take that much effort) then try doing the same regarding car use, buying too much stuff (where "stuff" = practically anything) and overheating one's house and overchilling one's food.

[skipper]

Ban them - don't over-think it.

They're rubbish.

Less rubbish is good.

[Louisa]

SJ do you therefore think we have reached this point with plastic bags? Because most people I come across in supermarkets get quite arsey when given one bag by the checkout person when then asks in a rather patronising manner, "do you need help with your packing?", Erm no but how about another half dozen bags you numpty, unless you want me to juggle this lot in my hands on the walk home. So if people are troubled by asking for more bags, imagine how they would feel being told that we aren't allowed plastic bags at all now because the save the world merchants have convinced government we need to ban them based on unsubstantiated destructive climate change research done by a science boffin I've never met before.

Louisa.

[Penguin68]

If you can get energised about reusing carrier bags (it really doesn't take that much effort) then try doing the same regarding car use, buying too much stuff (where "stuff" = practically anything) and overheating one's house and overchilling one's food.

Or, simpler, let's just ban cars, and central heating, and refrigerators and freezers. Much easier to take the option of decision away from mindless people, and just manage their lives for them the way we'd like it.

[EDLove]

Penguin68 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think it's a good idea (and in no way comparable

> with Isis banning music and dance...??).

>

> That's your opinion - as it is the Taliban's and

> ISIS's about music and dance. You want to ban

> different things than them, but you want to ban

> stuff that you don't like. So do they. And they

> have their god on their side, you just have your

> own prejudices. Does personal belief trump god?

> Many would think not.

Wow, this is massively excessive. I'd rather not get in to unnecessary arguments about God and belief save to note that you presume that my 'personal belief' isn't also supported by a God. Rather, in your opinion, it's a prejudice.

I'm not sure why you feel able to determine that a belief that you don't think is religiously supported should be described as such, but can only presume that it is your own prejudices.

In any event, even if there is no mass-recognised God supporting my personal beliefs, why do you feel that this makes them any less valid ('they have god on their side, you just have your own prejudices')? I'm not even sure if you can reasonably argue that the beliefs on music and dance held by Isis are religiously supported - or can you?

No, I wouldn't presume that a belief (whether backed by religion or not) would 'trump' another belief unless reason dictates that it should. Just because the Bible condones killing of children doesn't mean that it trumps my personal belief, even if, as you say, many people think it should.

You can quite clearly see that I am not supporting a ban because 'I don't like it' but because of the proven damage the things cause. Would you take the same view (and compare people to the Taliban) if they were requesting that smoking, for example, be banned from certain places?

In any event, this is not a ban on all bags, just the ones that bugger up the planet.

[StraferJack]

it's all coming out now...

[KalamityKel]

What happens with the clever bags one buys to use when shopping, in place of these dreadful plastic bags, when they break and are no longer of use (except in some cases - depending on the quality of the stitch - used as a scratching mat for the cat)? Where does one recycle them? Which bin does it go in?