Annoyed all over again!

I think with things like clothing they need protecting, food products can just go into ordinary bags but you would not want to mix the clothing and food in the same bags.

I always ask for the receipt to go into the bag as I have lost many receipts from stuffing them into handbags and purses. I take my stash of bags when I go food shopping but rarely when I go clothes shopping. Could do better!

I thought "biodegradeable" polybags just disintegrated into tiny particles of polythene and end up in big rafts somewhere in the worlds oceans poisoning wild life. I don't think they are truly truly biodegradeable, as paper bags might be.

They cause a hell of a mess when I find the odd one in the my shed and the tiny bits of plastic fall about every where. The work of the Devil.

As Jane10 has said, it isn't the law yet in England, so of course shops put clothes etc. in bags automatically. I think it's due to become law in 2016.

Those of us who live in Scotland, Wales or N. Ireland have had to get used to it - and there is no leeway given where clothes are concerned. You either pay for a bag, use one you've brought with you or carry the garment out over your arm!

YABU IMO. Since October last year it has been the case in Scotland that if you want a carrier bag you have to pay 5p for it, whatever it's for. No big deal; if you pay you'll get one, but it's not difficult to carry some - see thatbags above. As Coolgran65 says, there are benefits - fewer witches knickers hanging from the trees. Sounds good to me, and I have a range of cloth and plastic bags to use as I was already in the habit of refusing plastic bags anyway.

And it doesn't matter if it's a plastic Asda bag or a posh designer labelled carrier for a garment, they're all 5p

jane10, no, my username comes via a few variations from baggythecrust but you're right, my bag-readiness since the new law came in does make thatbags seem very appropriate!

gknot, Organised and Practical are my middle names , not that you can tell sometimes!

Except for the more robust Bags for Life from supermarkets which are 10p, but you can exchange them when they get torn or wear out.

Ana I didn't manage to keep a man for life, I'll be no good with a bag!

I'd take an Aldi one into M and S and see what they say, lol.

B and Q annoy me with this as most things are bulky but usually with some small bits too and no bags? When I have just spent loads of money? I'll take an Aldi one there next time, or Primark. Now they only do paper, and don't charge.

I have asked a man in the park today for a doggie bag as I forgot to take one with me.

Wales introduced the carrier bag charge in October 2011 - so we have had plenty of time to get used to it. Shops are required by law to charge at least 5p for every bag (plastic or paper) that you use. It applies to everything, even the brown paper bags that McDonald's put take-away items in. The shops are allowed to retain the charge for themselves if they want to, but most donate it to charity.

The big supermarkets are quite used to customers carrying re-usable bags from their competitors - nobody finds it strange now. If you buy clothes, the shops will always offer you a bag, you have the choice whether to have the bag and pay 5p for it, or take your goods without a bag.

When this was introduced in Wales it was heralded as being "something new", but in fact Germany, Austria, and some of the Scandinavian countries have had similar laws for much longer than Wales.

It's been law in South Africa too for ages.

Yes, no big deal.
Why object to shops keeping the 5ps, btw? Obviously businesses have to pay for their carrier bags and previously chose to give them away but now have to make a charge. They are entitled to keep that money if they want to.

Our M&S gives bags for clothes and charges for bags or food. I'm all for cutting down on the number of plastic bags we use but when I bought some china in Tesco this week each piece was wrapped in several plastic bags! Surely they could organise a supply of tissue paper at the tills.

I approve of payment for plastic bags for any purpose. When it becomes law in England I suspect we will quickly get into the habit of carrying bags with us if we have to pay for the consequences of forgetting. There are very many lightweight shoppers, rucksacks etc. and every time one is used that's one less carrier bag to become litter or end up being recycled.