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British stores have tried offering two kinds of reusable bags, heavy-duty plastic "bags for life" that are good for multiple uses and more expensive, and better looking and more robust jute ones. We have a compulsory 5p levy on the single-use bags they used to give out for free. It's not a tax -- it's compulsory that the stores (larger stores, anyway) collect it but they are supposed to give it to the charity of their choice, rather than to the government.
It's certainly effective in that I now take some bags with me when I go shopping, but it's had unwanted and unexpected consequences:
Over one billion ‘bags for life’ sold undermine government efforts to reduce plastic waste
There's also the problem that, if you order online and have the supermarket deliver your groceries (which I do most of the time) it's a lot more convenient to have them deliver the goods in single-use plastic bags that I can unpack at my leisure, rather than have them delivered unboxed and have to take out all the loose items before the driver can take the boxes away.
I'm glad to see that some chains are now looking into supplying their groceries in US-style paper bags. Morrisons to trial paper bags for groceries and higher price for plastic bags
It's certainly effective in that I now take some bags with me when I go shopping, but it's had unwanted and unexpected consequences:
Over one billion ‘bags for life’ sold undermine government efforts to reduce plastic waste
There's also the problem that, if you order online and have the supermarket deliver your groceries (which I do most of the time) it's a lot more convenient to have them deliver the goods in single-use plastic bags that I can unpack at my leisure, rather than have them delivered unboxed and have to take out all the loose items before the driver can take the boxes away.
I'm glad to see that some chains are now looking into supplying their groceries in US-style paper bags. Morrisons to trial paper bags for groceries and higher price for plastic bags