UK NEWS

M&S TO CHARGE CUSTOMERS 5P A BAG

M&S will be charging for bags from May 6

Thursday February 28,2008

By Jack Teague for express.co.uk

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(10)

MARKS and Spencer have announced they will charge food customers 5p for every plastic bag they use.

The charge is supposed to reduce demand for the bags which take 1000 years to decay. Around 13 billion plastic bags are given out free to UK shoppers every year.

Shoppers in Birmingham were asked their opinion on the scheme and many called it a "rip-off".

Vera Claire, 69, said: "I think a 5p bag is too much. I can't go without the bags so I'll just have to pay."

Ray Hodges, 84, said: "It's a rip-off. I don't think it's a good idea. If they want us to buy their food they ought to provide us with bags."

The move follows a trial in Northern Ireland and the South West of England which saw demand for for polythene bags fall by more than 70%.

Marks and Spencer will give customers free long-lasting bags from April for one-month. The 5p charge will begin on May 6.

M&S chief executive Stuart Rose believes that the move could reduce the number of bags used by 280 million each year.

PLASTIC BAGS !! 5P ?

29.02.08, 5:27pm

Makes no odds to me my wife always takes em back !!!

• Posted by: lioned • Report Comment

BARE FACED CHEEK

29.02.08, 12:50pm

I wonder if they will take the logo off the bag. Or do we have to pay them, to advetise their store.

• Posted by: GrayS • Report Comment

WHY DON'T WE USE

29.02.08, 12:18am

the kind of bio-degradable bags that the French have?

They disintegrate very easily, and obviously would be ideal for landfill.

As would the paper carrier bags that the Americans use.

Here, all the Government can think up, along with the big stores, is to make people pay for something that will STILL not bio-degrade not matter what they try charging for them.

The solution is to change the bags, not charge people for buying the shops products!!!

This is just another con. Question is, who gets all of the money made from charging for these bags??

No doubt the greedy Government.

• Posted by: SandieL • Report Comment

WHY DON'T WE USE

29.02.08, 12:13am

With regards to this article...

• Posted by: SandieL • Report Comment

UMM NICE ONE M&S...

28.02.08, 9:48pm

Win win situation. Charge customer 5p per bag and save the environment....

I think not!!! Jump on the environmentaly friendly wand waggon! And make mega bucks in the process! Lol what a great marketing ploy?

Why not, only offer more biodegradale paper bags or pack the higlhy priced items in 'last a lifetime' (or at least a year) re-usable M&S named bags?

This will not deter people from buying the things they want, but surely only add to the proffit of the shop. Lol, if the people cant see a money spinner ugh what is this soon to be communist state coming too....

• Posted by: agathac • Report Comment

THBE BANK JOB 2

28.02.08, 6:13pm

"Over there, Scotland Yard has been bypassed in the furore over Conway. Forget the crime, simply pay back the money and carry on business as usual with the poltics."

Does this mean if the 30 years secrecy law is abolished, we will soon see the movie "THE BANK JOB 2" ?

• Posted by: Nalin • Report Comment