Lidl bag charge: loveMONEY readers have their say

Lidl says it's scrapping 5p carrier bags to help the environment, but most loveMONEY readers aren't convinced.

Lidl has come under fire after announcing that it will no longer sell 5p carrier bags from next year.

The budget supermarket revealed it will stop selling the single-use carrier bags and will instead offer thicker, re-usable plastic bags for 9p each.

The move could prove profitable as, currently, all proceeds from 5p bags are donated to charity under a Government scheme, but this doesn’t apply to the pricier 9p bags.

How much do we spend on bags?

Just this week, Tesco revealed that cash spent by customers on 5p bags has helped fund 1,170 community projects in the last year, with each group awarded grants ranging from £8,000 to £12,000.

That means customers have spent at least £9 million on bags during that time.

Seperate analysis by the Government suggests the bag tax raises around £70 million a year, with supermarket customers by far the biggest contributors.

What has Lidl said?

Lidl has insisted it’s making the move to help the environment, rather than for its own gain.

“Our pledge to stop selling single-use carrier bags is all about promoting a more environmentally-friendly alternative,” says Ryan McDonnell, commercial director of Lidl UK.

“It will directly encourage shoppers to think about sustainability, and the role they can play in reducing unnecessary plastic waste.”

However, it seems most loveMONEY readers disagree. Our poll, which received 1,200 votes, shows two in three of you think the company is out to boost its profit margins.

You can see the results of our poll in the picture below.

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What you had to say

When we first covered the news, a number of you posted some strong views in the comments section.

PlasticPup said: “[Lidl] assume everyone drives and has a stash of spare bags in their boot. Some of us just need to pop in to get some food on their way home from work and don’t always carry many spares in our handbags!”

loveMONEY reader Driverman added: “My problem is why is the customer being forced to pay up for something not of their making.”

Many readers also came out in favour of the change, with regular contributor Lawrence A stating it was “quite fair” to charge for them.

“Something had to be done, disposable bags that don't decompose are a menace,” he added.

Similarly, Bacchu5 stated: “I fully support this measure and hope other shops follow.”

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