5p charge for carrier bags

[Chez2 10]

Pete if you bother to do some research then you will see businesses with fewer than 250 employees are exempt and for certain foods the exemption is also waived.

 

I cant believe how much paying a few pence for a carrier bag is distressing you.

 

Most people use black bin bags as you can clearly see when you pass any bin lorry.

 

Its a help if 80% fewer bags are issued. Stronger bags also get more usage before they break.

 

What did you or your parents do before bags were free? Because they werent always.

 

I'm glad you mentioned that. I had added a link with all the info on about who has to charge for what bags, in what circumstances ie for what items, size of business etc. Nobody seems to have read it as they are posting the same mistaken comments.

 

I would also like to say that people keep mentioning stuff going to landfill. Very little domestic waste or general business waste goes to landfill. Most is sorted and recovered, some material is recycled whereas some just make it into fuel (RDF) and burn it.

[PeteMorris 10]

I'm glad you mentioned that. I had added a link with all the info on about who has to charge for what bags, in what circumstances ie for what items, size of business etc. Nobody seems to have read it as they are posting the same mistaken comments.

 

I would also like to say that people keep mentioning stuff going to landfill. Very little domestic waste or general business waste goes to landfill. Most is sorted and recovered, some material is recycled whereas some just make it into fuel (RDF) and burn it.

 

Ah..the voice of someone who actually knows!...Rather than google warriors.

 

Yes I'm guilty I'm afraid of mentioning stuff going to landfill...But in fairness, that's only because I've seen reports quoting 1,000 years for it to decompose. So I assume that's complete poppycock? If it never gets to landfill, then that's not the case?

 

It seems we're being given mis-information...Just to make us happy with the charge and VAT imposed.

 

(Note: I'm not 'happy'...But others are fine with it)

 

---------- Post added 12-10-2015 at 18:31 ----------

 

Incidentally...I 'have' thoroughly read the Gov website which details what bags are chargeable etc

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities

[999tigger 10]

Ah..the voice of someone who actually knows!...Rather than google warriors.

 

Yes I'm guilty I'm afraid of mentioning stuff going to landfill...But in fairness, that's only because I've seen reports quoting 1,000 years for it to decompose. So I assume that's complete poppycock? If it never gets to landfill, then that's not the case?

 

It seems we're being given mis-information...Just to make us happy with the charge and VAT imposed.

 

(Note: I'm not 'happy'...But others are fine with it)

 

---------- Post added 12-10-2015 at 18:31 ----------

 

Incidentally...I 'have' thoroughly read the Gov website which details what bags are chargeable etc

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities

 

So what mis-infomation have you been given? The onlu incorrect thing ive seen is that statement on the website saying this is not a tax, where VAT is clearly involved. You seem determined to make a drama out of something that is easily avoidable. You defintely get your 30ps worth.

Edited October 12, 2015 by 999tigger

[Chez2 10]

Plastic carrier bags do take hundreds of years (or more) to degrade. Way back in the 80s there were biodegradable bags though. I got married in 1986 and a few years ago had to throw away my wedding cards as I had stored them in biodegradable bags which had turns almost to dust. Most (fully) biodegradable plastic does often need the high temperature of commercial composting to degrade rather than just landfill or home composting.

 

I see where you are coming from regarding reusing carrier bags as we used to use them for poop scooping. Some 'cheap' bags aren't much good, you need to double bag so you don't have any accidents. It seems the majority of people do use them once only though.

 

If you scroll back through some of our old tweets you will see statistics on general waste surveys over the last few years if you are interested in waste trends. I put them in to more palatable 'bite sized' tweets from big reports that are published. We deal with commercial waste and hazardous waste so I can't spout the stats for domestic waste off the top of my head.

[PeteMorris 10]

So what mis-infomation have you been given? The onlu incorrect thing ive seen is that statement on the website saying this is not a tax, where VAT is clearly involved. You seem determined to make a drama out of something that is easily avoidable. You defintely get your 30ps worth.

 

No...I just object to being told it's purely for the environment, yet the government take VAT from the sale of the bags!

 

I'm still puzzled as to where this 30p a year is arrived at. When I did a shop, I'd be 'given' 6 or more (especially, if I bought wine) on each shop. (Yes I live well)....Even my limited mathematics can arrive at a figure more than the equivalent of me spending 30p a YEAR in VAT on bags.

 

As I've said earlier, yes it's a trivial amount...But it's the principle. What next?...Water Bottles? Bottle tops? Cigarettes? (as if they aren't taxed enough)....

 

You keep saying it's avoidable (along with others)...It's not avoidable...If you don't spend 5p on the single use carrier bags, you're spending it on other plastic bags or cotton bags, or whatever you choose to deposit your rubbish in...So you're not avoiding it...Merely paying more...

[Chez2 10]

It is purely for the environment Pete. Its just that VAT is added to any goods considered a luxury not a necessity, even though we know that's not true and a lot of essential items have full rate of VAT applied to them.

 

It doesn't make complete sense to me as paper bags are not exempt from this charge. I personally don't see why small or medium sized businesses should be exempt from the charge.

 

I'm surprised supermarkets haven't been doing promotions for customers to earn strong reusable shopping bags with their logos on them as 'free' advertising.

 

Here is a link explaining that in England the VAT element is included within that 5p charge

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-and-customs-brief-14-2015-vat-compulsory-charge-on-single-use-carrier-bags-in-england/revenue-and-customs-brief-14-2015-vat-compulsory-charge-on-single-use-carrier-bags-in-england

Edited October 12, 2015 by Chez2
added link

[JFKvsNixon 11]

No...I just object to being told it's purely for the environment, yet the government take VAT from the sale of the bags!

 

I'm still puzzled as to where this 30p a year is arrived at. When I did a shop, I'd be 'given' 6 or more (especially, if I bought wine) on each shop. (Yes I live well)....Even my limited mathematics can arrive at a figure more than the equivalent of me spending 30p a YEAR in VAT on bags.

 

As I've said earlier, yes it's a trivial amount...But it's the principle. What next?...Water Bottles? Bottle tops? Cigarettes? (as if they aren't taxed enough)....

 

You keep saying it's avoidable (along with others)...It's not avoidable...If you don't spend 5p on the single use carrier bags, you're spending it on other plastic bags or cotton bags, or whatever you choose to deposit your rubbish in...So you're not avoiding it...Merely paying more...

 

So your complaint is that now you have to pay tax as part of the purchase price of the bag that you throw your rubbish away in. To be fair why shouldn't you? It's a product for sale, so it should be open to taxation like other similar products such as bin liners etc.

 

The tax take by the government is estimated to be £19 million a year, I gave the link a few pages ago. There's over 65 million people in this country, so on average the tax will cost around 30p per person. I can't be bothered to do the exact sum, because the sum is so small it won't make any discernible difference.

[PeteMorris 10]

It is purely for the environment Pete. Its just that VAT is added to any goods considered a luxury not a necessity, even though we know that's not true and a lot of essential items have full rate of VAT applied to them.

 

It doesn't make complete sense to me as paper bags are not exempt from this charge. I personally don't see why small or medium sized businesses should be exempt from the charge.

 

I'm surprised supermarkets haven't been doing promotions for customers to earn strong reusable shopping bags with their logos on them as 'free' advertising.

 

Here is a link explaining that in England the VAT element is included within that 5p charge

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-and-customs-brief-14-2015-vat-compulsory-charge-on-single-use-carrier-bags-in-england/revenue-and-customs-brief-14-2015-vat-compulsory-charge-on-single-use-carrier-bags-in-england

 

I see where you're coming from...But someone 'chose' to make them vattable...Hardly a luxury item.

 

Also nobody thus far has mentioned the cleanliness of reusing bags for foodstuffs...There is also an issue with bacteria build up!

[kidneystone 23]

There's no VAT on Jaffa Cakes

[999tigger 10]

No...I just object to being told it's purely for the environment, yet the government take VAT from the sale of the bags!

 

I'm still puzzled as to where this 30p a year is arrived at. When I did a shop, I'd be 'given' 6 or more (especially, if I bought wine) on each shop. (Yes I live well)....Even my limited mathematics can arrive at a figure more than the equivalent of me spending 30p a YEAR in VAT on bags.

 

As I've said earlier, yes it's a trivial amount...But it's the principle. What next?...Water Bottles? Bottle tops? Cigarettes? (as if they aren't taxed enough)....

 

You keep saying it's avoidable (along with others)...It's not avoidable...If you don't spend 5p on the single use carrier bags, you're spending it on other plastic bags or cotton bags, or whatever you choose to deposit your rubbish in...So you're not avoiding it...Merely paying more...

 

Ive Never said its purely environmental. Youd have to ask Gieon whi he wanted to add VAT.

I explained where the 30p came from when you asked earlier.

 

Nobody likes taxes, but such determination to moan over such a small amount mystifies a lot of people. Prices on invidual items in the shops can go up by more. I find it hilarious it riles you. Meanwhile I will use my own bag or where i need to then ill buy one.

 

Will you be organising a protest or going on a march?

[WiseOwl182 10]

 

The tax take by the government is estimated to be £19 million a year, I gave the link a few pages ago. There's over 65 million people in this country, so on average the tax will cost around 30p per person. I can't be bothered to do the exact sum, because the sum is so small it won't make any discernible difference.

 

 

That 65 million population includes lots of children, elderly in nursing homes, people in prison, blokey men who haven't ever even seen a supermarket, etc etc. The average would be much higher among people who actually shop.

[JFKvsNixon 11]

That 65 million population includes lots of children, elderly in nursing homes, people in prison, blokey men who haven't ever even seen a supermarket, etc etc. The average would be much higher among people who actually shop.

 

So it could be as high as 60p per person per year?