I can honestly say in the pantheon of things about England that has riled me in recent years, there aren’t all that many that come close to the reaction of some to this introduction of the 5p charge for carrier bags. I was genuinely flabbergasted last night when I listened to the radio in my car and there was a man who phoned in complaining bitterly about the expense and inconvenience that would be coming his way and how it would make a difference to family budgets. There was then the presenter Stephen Nolan actually refusing to believe a text from a listener saying that she always carried a couple of bags around in her handbag. Yes because that is so unthinkable isn’t it?
It is absolutely clear, and has been for some time, that plastic bags are an environmental menace ending up on landfill sites or worse strewn over canals and countryside. Anything that will genuinely help reduce their usage is surely only a good thing and what’s more the rest of the UK (and Ireland) have already proved that charging a small fee for carrier bags works. The statistics do not lie!
Just what makes English people think that they are entitled to get free carrier bags with every shop anyway. Somebody has to make them and you pay for everything else don’t you?! What next, mushrooms should be exempt from charges because your third son doesn’t like them? The Daily Mirror today ran an article about the monstrosity Continue reading “Plastic bag ‘problems’…”