Charging for Plastice Bags.

[DulwichFox]

So they are going to charge a 5p Tax for Plastic Bags.

Estimated 8 Billion Plastic Bags per Annum. That's ?400,000,000 a year.

Ok. Most bags are Bio-degradable so they can only be used a few times before the start to break up.

But what is the real problem>

Every Plastic Bag may contain... Let us say .. 10 items.

Each item wrapped in Plastic, Cardboard, Whatever.

Packaging is a much bigger issue than Plastic Bags.

Packaging cannot be re-used.

DulwichFox.

[Alan Medic]

No harm in starting somewhere though.

[giggirl]

Years ago cans of drink used to have ring pulls that detached themselves from the can. Those things were a menace. Just like cigarette butts, we got so used to seeing them that we stopped noticing that the streets were littered with them. Then there was a campaign to get rid of them and, as we all know, cans were redesigned so that the ring pull didn't detach. I remember at the time that Jack Dee did a routine focusing on how pathetic it was to make a fuss about this tiny bit of metal. He was wrong. Bingo - an ugly phenomenon was gone overnight. And so it will be with plastic bags at supermarkets. In a few years time we will wonder how we ever became so complacent about the "disposable society" that we have created.

[DulwichFox]

Ring Pull cans had to be re-designed because the Tab could be separated from the Ring...

.. and then the ring inserted into the end of 'springy' tab, pulled back and released ..

..The Ring was then projected at great speed that could injure or even Blind someone.

Foxy

[uncleglen]

Plastic bag- what's that again?

[numbers]

Er....I just remember the ring pulls being changed to catch up with the ones that the USA had waaaay before we did. Which are more user-friendly. Don't remember any "Green" campaigns to introduce them in the UK.

Mind you, I went to school with americans. Before I knew it marathons became snickers, we were all eating jolly ranchers, baby ruths & reese's peanut butter cups instead of our usual (but boring, scottish) soor plooms, sherbert lemons. Then we got Pop Tarts, Cheerios, Mountain Dew and the rest, as they say, is history.

[giggirl]

Irn Bru?

[numbers]

btw, when I say 'user-friendly', I mean 'idiot-proof'.

[numbers]

no GG, not even irn-bru, I remember coke & fanta etc changing to the american style first, can't actually remember when Barr's did. the earlier ring pulls were rubbish as they broke off leaving you no way to get to your drink.

and I don't know about you but I couldn't concentrate on double maths until I had my fill of Top Deck & limeade...

[maxxi]

Green schmeen - it's gesture politics.

And the ban is for ALL single use bags btw - including paper bags and those made from plant-starch

And it only applies to large supermarkets (not ordinary-sized shops, Tesco Metros, market stalls, etc.) a and even there, there are plenty of loopholes - you can still have a placcy bag if they are "for promotional/free items (eg catalogues)" for example, so expect Tescos to give out lots of free promo shit).

[KidKruger]

I haven't been following this in the news - what's the benefit supposed to be ?

When I was staying in india, up in rural UP 15 years ago, the local villages totally banned plastic bags - but that was for coherent reasons, the bags blocked natural flow of water in streams and drains and had choked livestock including cows which are sacred and obviously a source of milk.

Now in UK it's 'to be green' ?

[DulwichFox]

Tescos give extra Points for Bag Re-use. That is the Incentive

Under the Bag Charging Scheme. extra point will no longer be given. So the incentive has gone.

This government answer to everything is to Tax it.

Like the Congestion Charge.

If you can afford to pay. You can Congest. That's OK.

Foxy

[woodrot]

will the retialers (big and small) embrace anything that will affect their bottom line?

Will the funds that invest heavily in these equities embrace anything that will hit their bottom line?

No.

Paper bags are great, you cant carry as much shite home in a paper bag, so you buy less- this is hardly soemthing the supermarkets will introduce.

Do you think any of the three main parties (soon to be 2 when the vile cleggite nazi apologists are taken to a suitable place and shot through the head ) will do anything that will harm the retailers ? fuck off.

[Townleygreen]

the money made from this scheme is to be given to charity by the way. Not a tax really.

[HonaloochieB]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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

> Ring Pull cans had to be re-designed because the

> Tab could be separated from the Ring...

> .. and then the ring inserted into the end of

> 'springy' tab, pulled back and released ..

> ..The Ring was then projected at great speed that

> could injure or even Blind someone.

>

> Foxy

I don't think it ever injured or Blinded, leastways not at my hands, it was just something to impress younger family members and to bounce off the heart part of the Sacred Heart picture in Irish Catholic homes when the more responsible adults were down the pub.

And the women and children had dragged themselves to church.

Then along came PONG and we knocked it on the head.

[HonaloochieB]

Just to let everyone know, if you do have bother with faulty soft drink/beer can ring pulls that come away in your hand with no satisfactory hydration.

Your worries are over.

I have a dual opener, old school. The back of it being a standard crown cap buster, the front the V shaped can penetrator, where you pierce either side of the can in order to ensure air supply and steady flow.

Not always the most hygienic method of opening lots of cans at one time, but good enough for the likes of us, I'm sure all will agree.

But the great thing is the shaft of the instrument is threaded with poker dice, which can be detached from the handle and gambling can ensue.

It's exactly what James Coburn would have had in his cocktail bar, both as himself and when he was acting as Derek Flint.

SO the deal is, can goes wrong, contact me below, we let the die or dice decide whether I get my fee.

[email protected]

[steveo]

I'm not sure he was Derek Flint. Could it have been Alan?

The vision of him in a daringly short kimono is scorched into my brain

[HonaloochieB]

I'd have a beer if I was you Steve, mind how you go with the ring-pull, though.

I've just added a T and & C about my service where any supplicants whose applications involve 'brain scorch', short kimonos and aren't Gina McKee, Stephen Hawking and others yet to be identified will require the two to one service.

Gamble still applies.

[Annette Curtain]

I reckon i've got about 50+ 'Vintage' ones here in my pantry

Maybe i'll set up a 'Bag Lady Boy' stall in the market on Saturday

"Feel my bags, love you long time Mr"

[JohnL]

Politics

I still purposely get a few bags to wrap up food items I dispose off (bones etc)

I have long live bags.

[DulwichFox]

JohnL Wrote:

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

> Politics

>

> I still purposely get a few bags to wrap up food

> items I dispose off (bones etc)

>

> I have long live bags.

The Council provide FREE Green Food Bags that go in your Brown Bin.

They are Bio-degradable so they can be composted.

Food in Plastic Bags not a good alternative. Should NOT be put in Brown Bin.

Foxy

[Burbage]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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

> The Council provide FREE Green Food Bags that go

> in your Brown Bin.

Not everyone has a brown bin, or even one of the dinky food-waste bins. Those living in blocks of flats, or who otherwise lack council-recognised 'street access', do not. They were once able to apply for a wormery instead, but the main selling point - a supply of liquid fertilizer - was of surprising limited appeal to those without gardens.

Despite the council's inability to understand flats, they make up 75% of all the households in Southwark, of which over 80% are purpose-built blocks, suggesting that brown bins are a privilege afforded only to a minority. The assumption that any particular resident is necessarily fortunate enough to receive the council's benevolent favours, from brown bins to green bags, is therefore extremely questionable.

[JohnL]

Yep - I'm in flats and food waste seems to go with general.

My friend had a wormery and I remember being with him when he opened it and all

the worms 'jumped' out in his face (they must have all been on the lid) :)

Burbage Wrote:

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

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > The Council provide FREE Green Food Bags that

> go

> > in your Brown Bin.

>

> Not everyone has a brown bin, or even one of the

> dinky food-waste bins. Those living in blocks of

> flats, or who otherwise lack council-recognised

> 'street access', do not. They were once able to

> apply for a wormery instead, but the main selling

> point - a supply of liquid fertilizer - was of

> surprising limited appeal to those without

> gardens.

>

> Despite the council's inability to understand

> flats, they make up 75% of all the households in

> Southwark, of which over 80% are purpose-built

> blocks, suggesting that brown bins are a privilege

> afforded only to a minority. The assumption that

> any particular resident is necessarily fortunate

> enough to receive the council's benevolent

> favours, from brown bins to green bags, is

> therefore extremely questionable.