Was wondering what people are doing about the new carrier bag laws when selling at craft fairs. I pack the majority of my goods in paper carrier bags which I believe are exempt but occasionally use a larger plastic one for larger purchases. Should we be charging in line with the 5p a bag recommendation? I believe (although am not 100% sure) that small businesses are exempt from having to charge but perhaps we should so as to remain environmentally friendly and if we do what do we do with the money received?
I think your rules are slightly different to ours in Scotland, but no, I dont charge my customers for bags. I DO make a donation once a year to the Woodland Trust, to âpayâ for my use of bags. Mine tend to be paper unless itâs a larger item, in which case I buy degradeable plastic bags from Morplan, which rot in under 2 years irrespective of whether theyâre buried or not (biodegradeable items need to be buried apparently). So any bag of mine left hanging by a litter lout in a hedgerow will break down in daylight. Youâll probably find most of your customers bring their own bags though. It was adopted really quickly up here, so I think youâll find the same happens.
My understanding is that it is only larger retailers (those with over 250 employees) have to charge so unless you have a secret workforce I think you are ok to not charge for the bag. Iâd ask the person if they need a bag as a way of prompting them to consider putting the purchase into a bag they may already have.
Sasha
Companies that employ fewer than 250 people nationwide are exempt in England so you donât legally have to charge, I too use paper bags if a customer needs a bag and I do have a stash of âpre-usedâ carrier bags just in case anyone buys a lot of cards (although I might be using them to line my pedal bin instead of buying bin liners)
Itâs funny that this thread has been started because I was only thinking the same the other night after seeing some one saying about the carrier bag charge. I was going to ask on here what we are supposed to do but well done @OrchardFelts for beating me to it.
I had my first craft fair for ages last weekend. I made some small bags from recycled brown paper that was sent with an item my oh had ordered. It came in perforated squares, so I sewed two together with fancy stitches. Just an idea if you have the time.
As I sell prints- the smallest being just under A4 in size, I donât offer or have bags available at all. Iâve always had a problem with carrier bag- I simply donât use them. Even if clothes shopping I always just have a few fabric bags folded up in my handbag.
Never had any problems in selling anything either and no one has complained or said anything. I personally think we need to move away from the seller being responsible for the bags and putting the onus on to the customer. Thereâd be so much less waste then.
For small items I would just use thin paper bags but would make sure theyâre recycled and non-bleached. Just a personal preference but I like to do my bit for the environment. Living by the sea I am always picking up so much plastic rubbish from the beach and the streets nearby so it doesnât blow onto it.
Iâve been to a few places abroad in certain towns where plastic carrier bags are just banned altogether and everyone seems to cope! Haha
Weâve had the plastic carrier-bag charge for several years (Iâm in Wales), so folk are used to taking their own bags with them wherever they go. It wonât be long before buyers in England are doing the same, and you wonât have to worry about it.
Not sure why England has decided that smaller sellers should be exempt. Here in Wales every seller, large or small, has to make the 5p charge.
What about reusing all those âlovelyâ bags we have squirreled away. I get my more well healed friends to keep their REALLY nice bags and I use them, explaining to the customer that its all recycling, they seem to love it and get into the spirit of things, especially when I ask them which they carrier they would prefer!! Although I have drawn a line at letting them have my Tintin bag, cant part with that one!!
Suzzie x
Great thread, something I hadnât thought about.
I tend ot buy plastic as paper bags are expensive.
Ive just bought 200 plastic bags for a big fair Im hoping to sell at, but donât have to attend.
I may put a note in to the sellers there to ask the buyer if a bag is needed. Also I shall do the same at fairs Im attending.
Love the idea of making little fabric bags.
Maybe nows the time to make big fabric shopping bags to sell.
I thought he bag charge came in a couple of years back for the whole of the uk but in the south it dissapeared pretty quickly.
I always ask my customers if they would like a bag, and about 70% say yes. I use âkraft paperâ bags with my logo sticker on so they are eco-friendly, biodegradable, but subtle advertising too. Iâm very glad weâre exempt from all the admin of charging though. (Not enough elves here!)
(for now) Only larger retailers have to charge for plastic bags and yes they must keep records and donate the costs to (ideally environmental) charities. A large retailer is one with over 250 full time (or equivalent) employees.
