Libby calls for 5p bag charge

12:20pm Wednesday 16th January 2013 in News

PAY FOR PLASTIC: Student Libby Russell. PAY FOR PLASTIC: Student Libby Russell.

WHEN Southampton student Libby Russell saw her friend throw away a bag it sparked an idea to bring about change.

The 23-year-old Solent University fine arts student has now started an online petition to get a 5p charge on plastic carrier bags.

It received more than 300 signatures in only its first week.

Libby said: “When I saw my friend chuck away a bag she got given in Tesco for a sandwich, it just made me so annoyed – I thought what a waste.

“I thought why can’t England follow on like most of Europe and have a charge?

“My tutor suggested I set up this petition and it’s really snowballed in the last three days.

“There are so many carrier bags that get thrown away and it really annoys me.”

Libby, who also volunteers at the Art House Cafe in Above Bar Street, says she has always taken an interest in reducing waste.

To sign the petition visit epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/40990.

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Comments(22)

Cerdicjute says...
12:40pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Back in the primitive 1980s I remember Safeway (God rest their soul) charging for carrier bags. That idea fell out of fashion as soon as a certain supermarket chain began to exert its stranglehold on the sector because 'every little helps'.

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loosehead says...
12:54pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Can't agree with her.
I use my shopping bags to either put produce in that I grow on my allotment or I give to basic bank or charity shops.
I also put any extra into the bin at the supermarket.
charge me & yes I'll re-use what I already have but the Basic bank & the charity shops will have to buy their own.
instead of charging people should be fined for dropping litter & educated at how to dispose of these bags correctly

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Small Paul says...
1:16pm Wed 16 Jan 13

I'll then have to work out if it is cheaper to pay 5p per bag, or have to buy them to put in the kitchen and bathroom bins etc. I don't throw them away, they get re-used.

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Brusher Mills says...
1:23pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Bags can be recycled and the stores will take them back for you, no need to throw them in the bin.

However I find they are useful to put the household waste in. Marks already charges 5p and you get a good quality bag for your money (the way shopping bags used to be). Tesco bags are not even strong enough to hold the shopping let alone be reused. Morrisons probably have the biggest and strongest free bags, get plenty of rubbish in them.

So I don't agree with charging for standard bags people just need to be educated on re-use or recycling them.

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nemesis85 says...
1:25pm Wed 16 Jan 13

typical woman take it out on the world and not the friend that done it.

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S!monOn says...
2:01pm Wed 16 Jan 13

M&S already charge for some of their carrier bags as part of their eco plan.

I'm sure other major retailers probably have considered it as part of their responsibility to the environment.

She needs to come up with something original rather than something someone has already thought of.

We currently use "bags for life" already and try to re-use any carrier bags we are given as much as possible anyway.

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Dasal says...
2:03pm Wed 16 Jan 13

It received more than 300 signatures in only its first week.
and it’s really snowballed in the last three days.

I'm not up on actual figures for on-line petitions, but 300 signatures in a week cannot be called "Snowballing" can it ?

But what do I know..........."Sout
hy" help me out please o' wise one !!!

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minnie64 says...
2:12pm Wed 16 Jan 13

This is not new M&S and WHS charge for bags already !!!!

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bazzeroz says...
2:25pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Eco use should be taught in schools. And as for having a carrier bag for a sandwich that, just about takes the biscuit! I wouldn't shop where bags are charged for, sorry don't agree with it. We already pay enough for our food at supermarkets and, isn't the cost already factored into our shopping? I do however use 'for life bags' when I can or re-use what I have. You won't be getting my signature young lady.

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sass says...
2:33pm Wed 16 Jan 13

This will not change anyone's habits, but it will give the shops a wind-fall profit since the bags are not worth 5p.

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one in a million says...
2:51pm Wed 16 Jan 13

What a genius this young lady is...suprised no-one else has thought of this....

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S!monOn says...
3:25pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Isn't this plagiarism?

Maybe her tutors should keep a close eye on her course work from now on ;-O

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loosehead says...
3:27pm Wed 16 Jan 13

I take my back pack & if it's a large shop my wife takes hers & carrier bags we've bought.
only when we don't take these do we use plastic shopping bags which aren't that great a quality.
as others we use it to put kitchen waste into.if it's 5p a bag I can get a roll of small black plastic bags (100) for 99p so sorry the Basic bank & the charity shops can go whistle & those people attending the basic bank or using charity shops better take bags with them.
this is about a stupid person getting a shopping bag for a sandwich?
I've been to shops & bought a small item they ask you if you want a bag they show you all they have you don't need to take a large shopping bag it's up to you so why didn't she say no to the bag?

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sarfhamton says...
3:47pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Maybe the supermarkets and suppliers can stop excessive packaging, that would be better.

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10 Minute Man says...
4:24pm Wed 16 Jan 13

I'm already paying for bags at every supermarket I go to - I just can't see it as its hidden in with the other costs of doing business.

How about charging me to park my car unless I buy more than 10kg of shopping.

Or giving me more than 0.1pence back in 'points' for every bag I re-use? Its not enough of an incentive.

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loosehead says...
5:40pm Wed 16 Jan 13

10 Minute Man wrote:
I'm already paying for bags at every supermarket I go to - I just can't see it as its hidden in with the other costs of doing business.

How about charging me to park my car unless I buy more than 10kg of shopping.

Or giving me more than 0.1pence back in 'points' for every bag I re-use? Its not enough of an incentive.
been to Iceland?

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meltdown says...
6:35pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Genius!.......I'm pleased to see her further education hasn't been wasted. Oh, and I do hope she admonished her friend for discarding the carrier bag so callously as well as thinking to herself "what a waste".

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solomum says...
6:40pm Wed 16 Jan 13

It would be much more effective if shops stopped providing plastic bags completey, instead selling canvas or material bags at the checkout. People would soon remember to bring their own bags then. I am one of the worst culprits for forgetting to take my own bags.

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solo1 says...
7:31pm Wed 16 Jan 13

If they do away with carrier bags then i'm going to have to start buying bin bags for my rubbish. Not exactly eco friendly !!!. Also, i'll stop taking the dogs for a walk because i'm not picking that up with bare hands !!. These ideas are always shallow and not thought through properly. Can you see this woman coming out of the supermarket with loose potatoes in her handbag and an unwrapped lump of beef for her sunday dinner in her pocket just to avoid the plastic wrapping !!

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memush says...
7:35pm Wed 16 Jan 13

Rep of Ireland brought in a 10p now 15c tax on plastic bags back in 2000 to stop bagfulls of rubbish being dumped over hedges etc. Paper bags are free but rubbish still gets dumped by the bagfull. The supermarkets do not make money on plastic bags--they just collect the tax for the gov. Maybe it could be because you have to pay to use local tips.

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derek james says...
10:06pm Wed 16 Jan 13

well i'm sorry but i'm tired of being charged for carrier bags and yes i do reuse them when i take the dog out, i remember going to arundel castle and being charged for a bag after spending over £100 in the shop (plus the entance fee nearly half again for 3 people)" it's for charity" well i will chooese which charity and it won't be one with a £200000 chairman

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LLGLLG says...
10:32pm Wed 16 Jan 13

People saying you "re-use" the bags....regardless of what you do with them second, or even third time around, these bags are still going to end up in rubbish dumps where they take forever to break down. The idea of companies charging is to encourage people to find other ways of carrying/storing things that don't involve products that are so harmful to the earth. Nice to see the mysogynists out in force by the way.

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