The 'Shocking' Plastic Bag Charge

Kondo69

Anyone who works in a shop must regularly hear the disbelief from people who get told that there is a levy on plastic bags, which came into force on March 4th, 2002. The casual manner in which they wait until the transaction is put through and then, an auld bag there if ye have one... ''What?! Ye're charging for bags?!''

Culchies and auld ones are the main offenders...

Anyone else suffering these creatures?

Banjo String

Kondo69 wrote: »

Anyone who works in a shop must regularly hear the disbelief from people who get told that there is a levy on plastic bags, which came into force on March 4th, 2002. The casual manner in which they wait until the transaction is put through and then, an auld bag there if ye have one... ''What?! Ye're charging for bags?!''

Culchies and auld ones are the main offenders...

Anyone else suffering these creatures?

No.

I bring a reusable one, or plenty of shops hand out cardboard boxes for free .

gerrycollins

Worst of all are those who still think its 15c

Banjo String

Fran will love this thread, he's fond of a plastic bag.

harryr711

gerrycollins wrote: »

Worst of all are those who still think its 15c

It's more than €0.15 now?!

FearDark

Can't believe it came in over 10 years ago! Still have local shops here that supply bags at no extra charge. The likes of Dunnes and Tesco still do... an it grinds my gears to no end when every time Dunnes only have the 80c bags. FFS. Tbh its absolutely bananas to charge 22c for a bag in the first place. More nanny state nonscence.

Tipsy McSwagger

Most people have walked out of a supermarket juggling about 10 items instead of paying for a plastic bag.

Tzardine

I remember a few years back I worked for an English owned company. Never forget the day the boss was over and we were buying a sambo in Dunnes. He took a bag after he paid and was putting his food into it. You wan from the desk nearly took his head off. He had no clue what was going on lol.

wobbles-grogan

For good reason it came in too.

Agent Coulson

Shouldn't this thread have been started ten years ago?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

aren't shops supposed to provide free paper bags?

spank_inferno

Many places I shop in just give them for free anyway....

... with the passing of time the law becomes less effective.

The monies are supposed to be passed to the government, many shops dont bother.

Tzardine

wobbles-grogan wrote: »

For good reason it came in too.

Jazus , the liffey looks well.

Dravokivich

FearDark wrote: »

Can't believe it came in over 10 years ago! Still have local shops here that supply bags at no extra charge. The likes of Dunnes and Tesco still do... an it grinds my gears to no end when every time Dunnes only have the 80c bags. FFS. Tbh its absolutely bananas to charge 22c for a bag in the first place. More nanny state nonscence.

They need to provide you with a bag for the likes of raw meat and these are exempt from the levy. There's another exception, but can't remember what it was.

gerrycollins

FearDark wrote: »

Can't believe it came in over 10 years ago! Still have local shops here that supply bags at no extra charge. The likes of Dunnes and Tesco still do... an it grinds my gears to no end when every time Dunnes only have the 80c bags. FFS. Tbh its absolutely bananas to charge 22c for a bag in the first place. More nanny state nonscence.

Dunnes only do the 80c bags as they have an ongoing "different" view to that of revenue re the 22c bags.

when it first came I worked for dunnes and in a small shop we were using between 5k and 6k bags a week. Immediately after we were using 1000 bags a month so the environmental saving were obvious from the off.

giving free bags away is a small bit dangerous because if you get a tax audit its one of the first things they check your bag purchases against charges for the levy while you are allowed a certain percentage of difference the fines are not something to be laughed at.

131spanner

Kondo69 wrote: »

Culchies and auld ones are the main offenders...

Ara stop that carry on now.

FearDark

wobbles-grogan wrote: »

For good reason it came in too.

Bullshit.

It's another levy. 22cent plastic bag levy. Why not supply boxes or paper bags? Nope, lets just charge 22 cent a bag!

thebostoncrab

FearDark wrote: »

Bullshit.

It's another levy. 22cent plastic bag levy. Why not supply boxes or paper bags? Nope, lets just charge 22 cent a bag!

...most places do give you paper bags or boxes

keithclancy

FearDark wrote: »

Bullshit.

It's another levy. 22cent plastic bag levy. Why not supply boxes or paper bags? Nope, lets just charge 22 cent a bag!

Do you remember what it was like before the levy ?

Best f*cking tax ever in my opinion.

rubadub

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

aren't shops supposed to provide free paper bags?

There is nothing in law if that's what you mean.

FearDark wrote: »

The likes of Dunnes and Tesco still do... an it grinds my gears to no end when every time Dunnes only have the 80c bags

Last time I was in cournelscourt I noticed they have rolls of small bags at the checkout, i.e. commercial packs of bags you buy, so you can put it through the till first, open it and start packing.

They stole this idea from auld lads I saw doing it anyway, one guy bought bin liners and started filling them, cheaper & stronger & larger than the crappy ones they sell you.

Amirani

FearDark wrote: »

Can't believe it came in over 10 years ago! Still have local shops here that supply bags at no extra charge. The likes of Dunnes and Tesco still do... an it grinds my gears to no end when every time Dunnes only have the 80c bags. FFS. Tbh its absolutely bananas to charge 22c for a bag in the first place. More nanny state nonscence.

I don't really think it's "nanny state nonsense" when it's having a clear tangible effect on the environment that's benefitting everyone. Is it also nanny state nonsense that it's illegal to empty your rubbish into the local river every Tuesday?

LittleFox

To be honest it's not rocket science to bring a bag or keep one in your car, there are plenty or reusable ones that take up little space.

FearDark

NiallSparky wrote: »

I don't really think it's "nanny state nonsense" when it's having a clear tangible effect on the environment that's benefitting everyone. Is it also nanny state nonsense that it's illegal to empty your rubbish into the local river every Tuesday?

No thats illegal. The 22c goes into government coffers...or now probably to Angela Merkel.

vitani

I overheard someone at a customer service desk ask once if she could get a refund on about 30 bags for life. Apparently, when her husband went to the shop to buy milk/bread etc, he'd refuse to carry a bag with him and would buy a new one every time.

noodler

FearDark wrote: »

Can't believe it came in over 10 years ago! Still have local shops here that supply bags at no extra charge. The likes of Dunnes and Tesco still do... an it grinds my gears to no end when every time Dunnes only have the 80c bags. FFS. Tbh its absolutely bananas to charge 22c for a bag in the first place. More nanny state nonscence.

Its been an unqualified success in terms of reducing plastic bag use.

http://www.reuseit.com/facts-and-myths/the-plastax-irelands-plastic-bag-fee.htm

Tzardine

vitani wrote: »

I overheard someone at a customer service desk ask once if she could get a refund on about 30 bags for life. Apparently, when her husband went to the shop to buy milk/bread etc, he'd refuse to carry a bag with him and would buy a new one every time.

We are guilty of that. We have a space under the stairs full of bags for life. Must count them up and depress myself one day.

Aglomerado

LittleFox wrote: »

To be honest it's not rocket science to bring a bag or keep one in your car, there are plenty or reusable ones that take up little space.

+1, do it often enough and it becomes like a reflex. A couple of those cotton ones from Aldi rolled up tightly in your bag and a few in the car boot at all times, you're never stuck.

gobnaitolunacy

The Rubberbandits won't like this.

anncoates

Why is the term nany state always rolled out by people that cannot even take responsibility for any semblance of self-management?

Just take a few bags to the fucking shop with you.

theblaqueguy

All you suckers buying plastic bags!
I just get my wife to balance the weekly shopping on her head!
We shouldn't be giving this government anymore money!
Were already taxed up to our eyeballs
With the property tax and now water charges!

Lando Griffin

Whats with all the C's after the money ie .22c, whats with that, has P's gone out of fashion or something like throu pence?

Mezcita

theblaqueguy wrote: »

All you suckers buying plastic bags!
I just get my wife to balance the weekly shopping on her head!
We shouldn't be giving this government anymore money!
Were already taxed up to our eyeballs
With the property tax and now water charges!

Nice poem.

c_man

I remember once while working in an offy, a miserable old git buying a heap of cans and some bottles of wine.

Me: D'wanna bag?
Him: Will you charge me for it?
Me: Well yeah, it's the law.
Him: **** yourself so.

He craddles the lot, waddles out the door awkardly and starts on his way up the road to his merc. Half way up, his loses his grip and the lot go. Broken bottles and hissing cans. Arsehole.

Aglomerado

c_man wrote: »

He craddles the lot, waddles out the door awkardly and starts on his way up the road to his merc. Half way up, his loses his grip and the lot go. Broken bottles and hissing cans. Arsehole.

I love the smell of schadenfreude in the morning.

poundapunnet

I don't know if it's a peculiarly Irish thing or what that we seem to be able to be fairly stoic and have a sense of humour about things like not being able to pay bills or somebody dying, and then take the rain and plastic bag charges as some kind of outrageous personal attack.

Ghost Buster

FearDark wrote: »

No thats illegal. The 22c goes into government coffers...or now probably to Angela Merkel.

But you are not forced to buy the bag. Its optional.

OldNotWIse

It is really annoying when places (the same places all the time) "only have the 70c ones"

Ghost Buster

Kondo69 wrote: »

Anyone who works in a shop must regularly hear the disbelief from people who get told that there is a levy on plastic bags, which came into force on March 4th, 2002. The casual manner in which they wait until the transaction is put through and then, an auld bag there if ye have one... ''What?! Ye're charging for bags?!''

Culchies and auld ones are the main offenders...

Anyone else suffering these creatures?

Because the bag levy is only in Dublin?

IngazZagni

I live in England quite a lot at the moment and when I'm at the shop I regularly forget I can take a plastic bag for free. It's great. So much less hassle. I haven't noticed any more litter regarding plastic bags there than I do here now.

Timeless12

OldNotWIse wrote: »

It is really annoying when places (the same places all the time) "only have the 70c ones"

Next time just leave your stuff there and go somewhere else.

Tzardine

Timeless12 wrote: »

Next time just leave your stuff there and go somewhere else.

Seems like a bit of a tantrum over 70c.

OldNotWIse

Timeless12 wrote: »

Next time just leave your stuff there and go somewhere else.

Its not that annoying And often on a break from work, going to a further shop isnt an option. I just wish they'd stock the 22c ones as well ass the heavy ones.

When I worked in supervalu it used to really bug me when people would ocme in and spend loads of money on shopping and then pilfer our fruit and veg bags for packing :rolleyes:

IngazZagni

IngazZagni wrote: »

I live in England quite a lot at the moment and when I'm at the shop I regularly forget I can take a plastic bag for free. It's great. So much less hassle. I haven't noticed any more litter regarding plastic bags there than I do here now.

They have bag Levy too now. Even on paper bags!

AnonoBoy

The people who moan about the tax are the people whose behaviour the tax was brought in to combat.

Can't see further than their own noses.

Captain Farrell

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

They have bag Levy too now. Even on paper bags!

No we don't. I go shopping almost every day and there is no charge for bags, other than in Wales where it's 5p for a plastic bag.

rubadub

NiallSparky wrote: »

I don't really think it's "nanny state nonsense" when it's having a clear tangible effect on the environment that's benefitting everyone. Is it also nanny state nonsense that it's illegal to empty your rubbish into the local river every Tuesday?

FearDark wrote: »

No thats illegal. The 22c goes into government coffers...or now probably to Angela Merkel.

I don't follow your logic/answer, he asked you if its nanny state nonsense to dump rubbish. You say "no that's illegal", well its illegal not to charge for the bags too, so does this not similarly qualify it not being "nanny state nonsense".

the_syco

FearDark wrote: »

More nanny state nonscence.

See a lot less plastic bags blowing about these days!

MonaPizza

wobbles-grogan wrote: »

For good reason it came in too.

I see. So charging people for a plastic bag is going to miraculously stop loads of them being dumped in the Pacific by oh-so-ethical recycling companies.
I see plastic bottles in that pic too. Are you charged extra for your flagon of Coke? I don't see any machines in any supermarkets in this country where you can bring a plastic bottle and get 5c back on it.

So I go to the shop and buy a roll of 30 yards of cling film, a ten-pack of Tayto (which come in another large plastic bag) 6 large plastic bottles of minerals (all held together tightly by a plastic flim), some rashers, sausages, black pud (all in plastic wrappers), a plastic bottle of brown sauce and a plastic bottle of milk for my brekkie........BUT......charging me 1.40 for 2 bags to carry all this sh1t home is somehow going to stop all of it winding up in the damn sea?

Gimme a break.

MonaPizza

thebostoncrab wrote: »

...most places do give you paper bags or boxes

Dunnes don't.

Captain Farrell

Captain Farrell wrote: »

No we don't. I go shopping almost every day and there is no charge for bags, other than in Wales where it's 5p for a plastic bag.

Sorry, my mistake it's an across the board Levy on all bags in NI http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/sm/carrier-bag-levy

The plastic bag Levy will be hitting England in 2015 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plastic-bag-charge-set-to-benefit-the-environment

Skatedude

I find the most annoying thing is what tesco's does. they charge you the 22 cents for a plastic bag. But they are so small that you pretty much need a bag for each item and are so thin that they usually just tear. I'd use 3 or 4 bags easily for the same items that i can carry in a single bag from spar

i agree that the tax helps with rubbish and waste, but there should be a standard minimum size/strength.