Well no, not quite, of course, but:
"Marks & Spencer is to start charging customers for plastic bags as part of a £200million scheme to encourage shoppers to go green.
Shoppers at 14 of the company's stores in Northern Ireland/the North/here will be forced to pay 5p/7cent for every carrier bag they use in a trial starting this summer.
If successful, the scheme could be rolled out across Britain/Scotland later in the year.
Plastic bags have become a "key tool in stores" battle to showcase their green credentials and commitment to the environment.
British shops hand out more than 13billion carrier bags each year - most of which end up in landfill sites where they can take up to 500 years to break down.
To tackle the problem, Ireland introduced a plastic bag tax in March 2002, which saw their use fall by 90 per cent and raised 60million euros (£41million) for eco-charities.
Environment ministers have repeatedly rejected moves to introduce similar measures in the UK for fear of upsetting voters, making the decision by M&S especially brave.
The company's Northern Irish bag trial will come in two stages.
From 4 June, it will offer customers the sturdy, reusable "bags for life" free of charge with a promise to replace them once they wear out.
A month later, on 1 July, it will introduce the 5p/7c charge on the flimsier, standard plastic bags currently given out free.
The firm's divisional executive for Ireland, Neil Hyslop, added: "We have all got into the habit of using too many carrier bags and we want to explore how we can encourage people to change their behaviour."
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I can see it now - Bangorian shoppers in outraged protests at latest all-Ireland policy....
QuoteShoppers at 14 of the company's stores in Northern Ireland/the North/here will be forced to pay 5p/7cent for every carrier bag they use in a trial starting this summer.
The bag tax is going up here this summer. I'm not sure but I think it'll be 28 cent (up from 15 cent).
Don't think so ML, my recollection of the exact figures isn't great, but prior to the tax there were about 400 M bags (supermarkets only) used in Ireland every year (just over 1 M bags per day). The immediate drop in numbers was over 90%, but there has been a bit of a creepback noticed in the past few years, hence this year's increase. If we take the five year avoidance of 400 M bags, that's 80 M a year on average, which is an equivalent of 80% drop in use (if we use the supermarkets number as a total) at the very least. That seems about right to me.
think it was a great idea. I still buy plastic bags - reluctantly when I forget my re-usable shopping bags - but am happy that at least I use less than before.
Rem the 80's when the countryside was littered with plastic bags and the country looked like Gypsy-ville'.
NI(here ;)) by comparison looks rough tatty and poor when driving through it thanks to the litter you see in the hedges and streets.
This move will help clean the place up.
(that and driving the planters back to scotland) ;) :D
When the planters do pack their bags, should it be the one for life!
l'm sick of seeing them all over the country, the bags..
Quote from: lynchbhoy on May 22, 2007, 09:58:41 AM
Rem the 80's when the countryside was littered with plastic bags and the country looked like Gypsy-ville'.
NI(here ;)) by comparison looks rough tatty and poor when driving through it thanks to the litter you see in the hedges and streets.
That still applies to the wee stretch of the road between Cloughouge chapel and Killeen, just above the boundary with Leinster....talk about no man's land.....still, it's the only part of Ireland where you can get wooden floors and fireworks in the same 'retail outlet'.
Quote from: Fiodoir Ard Mhacha on May 22, 2007, 10:52:53 AM
still, it's the only part of Ireland where you can get wooden floors and fireworks in the same 'retail outlet'.
They are now selling cars there as well :D
So what would I get if I walked in and asked "any bangers for sale"?.
Quote from: Hardy on May 22, 2007, 11:04:08 AM
So what would I get if I walked in and asked "any bangers for sale"?.
Probably a Boom Boom!
Quote from: Fiodoir Ard Mhacha on May 22, 2007, 08:53:41 AM
Well no, not quite, of course, but:
"Marks & Spencer is to start charging customers for plastic bags as part of a £200million scheme to encourage shoppers to go green.
Shoppers at 14 of the company's stores in Northern Ireland/the North/here will be forced to pay 5p/7cent for every carrier bag they use in a trial starting this summer.
If successful, the scheme could be rolled out across Britain/Scotland later in the year.
Plastic bags have become a "key tool in stores" battle to showcase their green credentials and commitment to the environment.
I can see it now - Bangorian shoppers in outraged protests at latest all-Ireland policy....
Desperate attempt, even if light-hearted, to introduce an "All-Ireland" slant to what is actually a rather cynical move by another international retail conglomerate, FAM.
You see, rather like those Hotels which urge us to re-use towels to "save the environment" (i.e. save their laundry bills), M&S have cottoned on to the fact that if they can avoid giving out free plastic bags, this will save thier packaging bills, whilst establishing their "Green" credentials.
However, just in case they might face resistance from their customers, they are conducting a trial first. The obvious place to start this trial might be NI, seeing as that is the part of the UK most likely to be familiar with the situation in the Irish Republic.
Personally, I think this a good idea, irrespective of their motives.
P.S. Did the source which you quoted really include the terms "Northern Ireland/the North/here" and "Britain/Scotland", or did you deliberately distort it (presumably in order to make some sort of petty point, a la Conor Murphy)?
I made the change for fairly basic humorous purposes. I'm not really into pettiness but, life is short, EG.
Still, I welcome the continued policy of using this little part of the world as a trial for anything that's worked ever so successfully in the other part of this little part of the world.
PS Yes, I'm against globalisation but, like those who hear the reasoned argument, agree with its principles, but do damn all about it now, I too am guilty of letting the status quo reign.
I'm away to read some Albert Camus this afternoon.
Quote from: Hardy on May 22, 2007, 11:04:08 AM
So what would I get if I walked in and asked "any bangers for sale"?.
Sausages