£30 please, plus 15p for the bags.

[Workingman]

I do understand the 'bin liner' argument, but these bags still go to landfill where they will take eons to degrade - if ever.

Maybe the way to go would be to force producers to make their bags, of whatever sort, from biodegradable plastics - they do exist.

[TheOstrich]

The Co-op locally seem to have been doing bio-degradable bags (it says so on the bag) for ages.

Interesting that M&S have dropped their charge, I didn't realise they'd done that!

I occasionally forget to pick up our re-usable bags from the car boot when I'm going into Asda, and then I have to pay 5p / bag at the checkout, but other than that, I make it a point of honour never to pay, even if I have to stagger out of WH Smiths clutching half a dozen paperbacks under my arm, Jo !!

We have both now got reusable linen bags (£1.99) for "emergencies" that neatly fold away into a carrying case (which is about 5" by 2" in size), Mrs O's is in the handbag and I keep mine in my inside jacket pocket.

The other thing we always re-use is charity bags that come unsolicited through the door. We regularly get one or sometimes two a week here, we reverse them so the logo's on the inside and use them as standard rubbish bags.

Our next "problem" here in Birmingham is that they are rolling out wheelie-bins, city wide, by 2015. Many folk (including my S across the city) really have nowhere to discreetly put them ..... depending on size, we may be able to get ours behind the garage. We will be getting a two bins (a general one and one for tins and papers) for free, but green ones (garden waste) they are going to make an annual charge for - said to be £30.