'Bag rage' prompts backdown on plastic bag levy in Australia

[webfact]

'Bag rage' prompts backdown on plastic bag levy in Australia

Reuters Staff

 

A man carries a Coles supermarket plastic bag as he walks along rocks at Dee Why Beach, located in the northern beaches suburbs of Sydney, Australia, July 31, 2018. Picture taken July 31, 2018. REUTERS/David Gray

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia’s second-largest supermarket, Coles, on Wednesday halted plans to charge shoppers for plastic bags, succumbing to customer fury about a shift away from single-use plastics.

 

Coles, owned by Wesfarmers, and its larger rival Woolworths Group Ltd removed one-use plastic bags from stores late in June as part of a national push to reduce waste, selling reusable ones for a small fee instead.

 

It drew a furious response, dubbed “bag rage,” as customers angry about having to bring their own sacks or pay 15 Australian cents (11 U.S. cents) for a reusable plastic bag abused checkout staff and vented on social media.

 

The union representing store workers launched a public campaign on the issue and both grocers capitulated, temporarily waiving the fee.

 

Coles, which had initially planned to reintroduce the fee on July 12, never levied it and has now extended the waiver indefinitely.

“Some customers told us they needed more time to make the transition to reusable bags,” the company said in a statement.

 

“Many customers bringing bags from home are still finding themselves short a bag or two so we are offering complimentary reusable (bags) to help them complete their shopping,” it said.

 

The waiver was “still intended to be an interim measure,” Coles said, but gave no date for the resumption of the fee, saying only it will “assess when customers have become accustomed to bringing their own bags.”

 

Woolworths has levied 15c per bag since July 8.

 

The backflip comes while Coles is under immense pressure to lure customers, as its sales growth lags Woolworths just as Wesfarmers prepares to spin it out and list it separately.

 

“It’s all a part of lifting their customer satisfaction and getting more customers in the door,” said James Tao, a market analyst at stockbroker Commonwealth Securities in Sydney.

 

The cost of the move would probably have a negligible financial impact, he added. “It’s more about the PR side.”

 

However that also appeared to backfire as Coles was lampooned online.

 

“Coles’ colossal plastic bag fail” and “Coles caves” ran headlines on Australia’s main news sites.

 

Major retailers in all but two Australian states face fines if they supply single-use plastic bags.

 

The U.N. wants to eliminate single-use plastic by 2022 and says more than 60 countries have so far taken steps to ban or reduce plastic consumption.

 

($1 = 1.3479 Australian dollars)

 

(Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-08-01

[TPI]

Oz, the greatest "nanny" state on Earth!

[Bluespunk]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Australia’s second-largest supermarket, Coles, on Wednesday halted plans to charge shoppers for plastic bags, succumbing to customer fury about a shift away from single-use plastics.

The fury was about paying for reusable bags. 

 

Single use plastic and it’s non biodegradability is an environmental disaster. 

 

People have gotten used to free, throw away plastics. They need to learn this is no longer acceptable. 

 

Charging for bags may well help people remember to reuse them. 

[Peterw42]

1 minute ago, TPI said:

Oz, the greatest "nanny" state on Earth!

I agree, some friends on facebook last night complaining that local council come around on bin night and actually inspect the contents of your bin, any plastic bags in the recycle bin and its a fine.

[Bluespunk]

Just now, Peterw42 said:

I agree, some friends on facebook last night complaining that local council come around on bin night and actually inspect the contents of your bin, any plastic bags in the recycle bin and its a fine.

Great policy. Wish more countries did this. 

[stud858]

What isn't realised really is that everyone is a human.  And humans have greed and selfishness. No one gives a stuff about the environment and future generations when it means they lose money.  Money trumps everything. So there needs to be a way like this.  Everyone who brings their own reusable card board box or bag to carry their groceries gets a 30% discount.

 

 

[BuckleUp]

Bloody ban. I much prefer 150 billion plastic bans in the oceans and landfill every year around the world.

But seriously, the only reason I never shop at Aldi is because they never provide bags in Melbourne. It's a <deleted> inconvenience. 

Coles and Woollies will provide the sturdy 15cent bags. Just dump a few in your cart when entering the store, and Bob's your uncle. It's all the other places that use plastic bags that will be annoying. 

Anaways, this trip to Thailand, I've collected two massive balls of plastic bags. Reckon I'll take em back and it'll last for about 5 years back home.

[stud858]

55 minutes ago, BuckleUp said:

Bloody ban

 

 

[lust]

Who cares what they think? Ban plastic bags. 

[Billy Bloggs]

I love the I dont shop at Aldi because they dont have plastic bags, more fool them, they do however have much lower prices so I make a saving there, they did till I left Oz 3 years ago sell plastic bags and material re usable,I had about 7 re usable bags all received when different stores ran promotions.

I hate plastic bags even here in the sticks they blow in the dam and jam up the water pumping line.

But what they do in the oceans is criminal.

[Mad mick]

i dont know why the bother other than big supermarkets making money machine sell their store brand green bags, 70% most items on shelves are plastic containers or wrapped in plastic, plastic bottles , fresh veg sections still have bags , crikey they made them years ago biodegradable from vegetable bi products  , satchels , cup, etc etc,, yawn , bring back glass bottles and deposit system and the old tucker bag was ok

[stevenl]

7 minutes ago, Mad mick said:

i dont know why the bother other than big supermarkets making money machine sell their store brand green bags, 70% most items on shelves are plastic containers or wrapped in plastic, plastic bottles , fresh veg sections still have bags , crikey they made them years ago biodegradable from vegetable bi products  , satchels , cup, etc etc,, yawn , bring back glass bottles and deposit system and the old tucker bag was ok

Because it is a (small) step in the right direction.

[sikishrory]

They have since backflipped on this backflip and will be stopping the bags again at the end of august. They just can't make up their minds

[newatthis]

6 hours ago, stud858 said:

What isn't realised really is that everyone is a human.  And humans have greed and selfishness. No one gives a stuff about the environment and future generations when it means they lose money.  Money trumps everything. So there needs to be a way like this.  Everyone who brings their own reusable card board box or bag to carry their groceries gets a 30% discount.

 

 

Actually, I was impressed yesterday with the reusable paper bag from Starbucks. I would love to know where you could get bigger ones here in Thailand.

[55Jay]

Change is hard.  Even harder in Thailand.  This one needs to be rammed down the pipe without Vaseline, or else you'll never get it done.

 

Last trip to Murica, cashier at Walmart asked us if we wanted a bag or not.  Well, yes, we do, thanks.    Second time, we had a lot more items and were asked again.  I thought it was a daft question so I looked at all the stuff on the check out belt, then back to the cashier and asked, "What do you think?". 

 

Only then she took pity on me in a "Ya'all ain't from around here, are ya?" kind of way, and told us they charge for each bag they provide us.

 

OH!  ? 

 

We had no idea the plastic bag policy had been rolled out sometime between our last visit to the US and this one.  But not a problem, we collected some of the sturdy, reusable, degradable plastics along with some cloth market bags, and kept them in the car in the event we made an unplanned stop at the shops.  Just takes a little adjustment, no problem.

[55Jay]

3 minutes ago, newatthis said:

Actually, I was impressed yesterday with the reusable paper bag from Starbucks. I would love to know where you could get bigger ones here in Thailand.

Nice!  There's a hipster kind of coffee shop/eatery around where we live, run by young Thais.  I was surprised and pleased to see they were using paper straws instead of plastic ones.

[mfd101]

7 hours ago, TPI said:

Oz, the greatest "nanny" state on Earth!

You've obviously never lived in France!

[BuckleUp]

1 hour ago, newatthis said:

Actually, I was impressed yesterday with the reusable paper bag from Starbucks. I would love to know where you could get bigger ones here in Thailand.

But don't you kill trees to make paper bags? All plastic straws are going paper. 

Either kill marine life with plastic, or starve the earth of O2 cutting trees.

Which is the lesser to 2 evils?

[Bluespunk]

5 hours ago, BuckleUp said:

But don't you kill trees to make paper bags? All plastic straws are going paper. 

Either kill marine life with plastic, or starve the earth of O2 cutting trees.

Which is the lesser to 2 evils?

The argument for paper:

http://theconversation.com/is-the-paper-industry-getting-greener-five-questions-answered-76274

 

yet another reason why there is no argument that justifies single plastic use:

 

Plastic pollution: How one woman found a new source of warming gases hidden in waste http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45043989

[Mad mick]

17 hours ago, stevenl said:

Because it is a (small) step in the right direction.

in your dreams there always was biodegradable ones to use and supply,  its a con by supermarkets driven by extra profits

[tifino]

18 hours ago, Billy Bloggs said:

I love the I dont shop at Aldi because they dont have plastic bags, more fool them, they do however have much lower prices so I make a saving there, they did till I left Oz 3 years ago sell plastic bags and material re usable,I had about 7 re usable bags all received when different stores ran promotions.

I hate plastic bags even here in the sticks they blow in the dam and jam up the water pumping line.

But what they do in the oceans is criminal.

Consider that Aldi has been in Aust for 20 years by now!    They've never had the free single usage bag from the start! 

The non-lateral thinkers cannot handle it... but all one need s to do is trawl along the aisles, for emptied cardboard cartons, that the products are shelved in. 

I simply now do the same, box collecting, in Woollies and Coles - and everything also stays nice and stable in the car on the way home...

[v8jack]

The fury was about paying for reusable bags. 
 
Single use plastic and it’s non biodegradability is an environmental disaster. 
 
People have gotten used to free, throw away plastics. They need to learn this is no longer acceptable. 
 
Charging for bags may well help people remember to reuse them. 

The shopping centres still supply plastic bags but charge 15cents for them. If you need bags most people will still get the bags, it’s not eliminating waste as there is still plastic bags at the shops..

It’s just a way for Coles/Woolworths to make money,



Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[stud858]

4 minutes ago, v8jack said:

 

 

The shopping centres still supply plastic bags but charge 15cents for them. If you need bags most people will still get the bags, it’s not eliminating waste as there is still plastic bags at the shops..

It’s just a way for Coles/Woolworths to make money,



Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

Hahaha, you are so right.  go Coles! Stock it to em 

[Bluespunk]

5 minutes ago, v8jack said:

 

 

The shopping centres still supply plastic bags but charge 15cents for them. If you need bags most people will still get the bags, it’s not eliminating waste as there is still plastic bags at the shops..

It’s just a way for Coles/Woolworths to make money,



Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

True.

 

Hopefully if that happens, much harsher action will be taken at a govt level and plastic bags will be banned altogether. 

[stevenl]

12 minutes ago, v8jack said:

 

 

The shopping centres still supply plastic bags but charge 15cents for them. If you need bags most people will still get the bags, it’s not eliminating waste as there is still plastic bags at the shops..

It’s just a way for Coles/Woolworths to make money,



Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

If they stopped altogether the outrage would be even bigger.

 

It is a step, hopefully soon followed by a blanket ban.

[overherebc]

11 hours ago, tifino said:

Consider that Aldi has been in Aust for 20 years by now!    They've never had the free single usage bag from the start! 

The non-lateral thinkers cannot handle it... but all one need s to do is trawl along the aisles, for emptied cardboard cartons, that the products are shelved in. 

I simply now do the same, box collecting, in Woollies and Coles - and everything also stays nice and stable in the car on the way home...

The super market I used in Korea had a long bench with fold flat paper/ cardboard boxes and big rolls of string.

After checkout you got a box reshaped it stuck your stuff in it and tied it up to carry or take in the trolley to your car.

[overherebc]

On 8/2/2018 at 2:04 PM, Mad mick said:

i dont know why the bother other than big supermarkets making money machine sell their store brand green bags, 70% most items on shelves are plastic containers or wrapped in plastic, plastic bottles , fresh veg sections still have bags , crikey they made them years ago biodegradable from vegetable bi products  , satchels , cup, etc etc,, yawn , bring back glass bottles and deposit system and the old tucker bag was ok

You are probably posting with the benefit of not being a Bogan or a Houso.

???

[sikishrory]

4 hours ago, stevenl said:

If they stopped altogether the outrage would be even bigger.

 

It is a step, hopefully soon followed by a blanket ban.

I reckon a blanket ban would be a good idea too. Especially in Thailand where it is quite hot. Usually just a doona is enough and blankets are a pain in the ass to make up

[JTXR]

Coles/Woolworth is to be congratulated on the effort, but it's no surprise that a move by a single company didn't work.  For it to work, it needs to be done by a government, covering all stores within its jurisdiction.  In the U.S., cities and states have enacted similar laws.  People grouse, but they get used to it, and reasonably soon it becomes the new normal.  Could be done on a national level, of course, but in most countries, national-level pols are too spineless to lead on anything truly innovative.

[stud858]

6 minutes ago, JTXR said:

Coles/Woolworth is to be congratulated on the effort, but it's no surprise that a move by a single company didn't work.  For it to work, it needs to be done by a government, covering all stores within its jurisdiction.  In the U.S., cities and states have enacted similar laws.  People grouse, but they get used to it, and reasonably soon it becomes the new normal.  Could be done on a national level, of course, but in most countries, national-level pols are too spineless to lead on anything truly innovative.

Yes, spineless.  Australia needs a Trump.