Countdown 'Bag for Good' v ASDA UK 'Bag for Life'

Forums › Off topic › Countdown 'Bag for Good' v ASDA UK 'Bag for Life'

amiga500

1484 posts

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#236197 23-May-2018 07:55

Countdown say that if their bags wear out to bring it back & get a new bag for free. Very similar to ASDA UK where they have two barcodes on their sturdy plastic bags. First barcode is for when you buy the bag, 2nd barcode (on bottom of bag) scans at zero cost if the bag wears out & you need a new one. Anyway, a great idea.

Taubin

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#2020954 23-May-2018 09:34

I've been using bags from New World for quite a while everywhere I shop. They seem sturdier than the Countdown ones, but with this, I'll grab some of the countdown as well. The only complaint I have with Countdown, is every time I go through the self check out, they I have to wait for someone to come "check my bag" when I click "use my own bag". Overall, I prefer countdown (the one near me seems better than the New World near me), but that part is quite annoying. I'll nab a countdown one next time I'm there, to see if that does it as well.

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pom532

149 posts

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#2021021 23-May-2018 10:59

I'm not looking forward to having to buy plastic bags to use in my various household rubbish bins.

MikeAqua

7773 posts

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#2021063 23-May-2018 11:48

pom532:

I'm not looking forward to having to buy plastic bags to use in my various household rubbish bins.

Ditto. Perhaps these could be made biodegradable.

This is one of the few tasks I haven't managed to eliminate plastic bags from. I tried paper bags but it was difficult to find them in a size that suits our under-bench buckets (square) and anything wet causes them to fail.

I'm currently trying to find a second under-bench bucket to allow me to go bag-less by always having a clean and dry bucket to swap in.

Mike

KrazyKid

1238 posts

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#2021068 23-May-2018 11:52

I don't buy plastic rubbish bags for internal use.

My internal rubbish bins all have a separate plastic inner component.

I just put a bit of folder newspaper in the bottom of the bin to soak up any liquids and tip the inner into a 1 large plastic rubbish sack.
Then you can rinse out the inner as required.

As an aside now that I have started recycling plastic bags and wrapping (soft plastics) at the supermarket I am down to about 1 large black rubbish bag a month for a family of 4.
(I also compost). The recycling of soft plastics alone halved my rubbish quantity!

rphenix

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#2021069 23-May-2018 11:53

What about an eco bag?

Stu

Hammered
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#2021078 23-May-2018 12:02

Countdown et al already sell compostable plastic-like 'bin-liners'.

As above, checkout-style compostable grocery bags are also already available. Why can't they just change to this type of product or go back to paper bags at the checkout? Yet another way for supermarkets, The Warehouse, etc to make money?

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KrazyKid

1238 posts

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#2021086 23-May-2018 12:16

How is countdown making money if it is giving away for free it's reusable bags after the first purchase?

In my case I use council rubbish bags and don't buy bin liners - they are losing money from me by replacing my reusable bags for free.
If you used a wheelie bin instead of a council rubbish bag without a liner then again countdown is giving you free reusable bags.

Perhaps Countdown may save on the cost of buying plastic bags if the cost of free reusable bags they give away work out cheaper overall, but how is that bad?
In such cases you both save money and there is less waste in the world?

Also read this about how compostable bio degradable plastic bags really are.

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amiga500

1484 posts

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#2021155 23-May-2018 13:58

Taubin:

I've been using bags from New World for quite a while everywhere I shop. They seem sturdier than the Countdown ones, but with this, I'll grab some of the countdown as well. The only complaint I have with Countdown, is every time I go through the self check out, they I have to wait for someone to come "check my bag" when I click "use my own bag". Overall, I prefer countdown (the one near me seems better than the New World near me), but that part is quite annoying. I'll nab a countdown one next time I'm there, to see if that does it as well.

Agree about 'check my bag' thing. One Countdown I go to is terrible for being sensitive to weight of the reusable bag. Last time I was there the operator was running from machine to machine due to weight issues. Another Countdown I go to with much newer machines & it's a non issue. Never happened at the newer supermarket.

MikeAqua

7773 posts

Uber Geek

#2021158 23-May-2018 14:17

KrazyKid:

I don't buy plastic rubbish bags for internal use.

My internal rubbish bins all have a separate plastic inner component.

I just put a bit of folder newspaper in the bottom of the bin to soak up any liquids and tip the inner into a 1 large plastic rubbish sack.
Then you can rinse out the inner as required.

We have plastic bins too - in our case in one of those under bench pull out things. I find they get smelly if used without a bag and simple rinsing doesn't get the smell out, or presumably the bacteria.

The genius who designed our kitchen didn't include a floor in the pull out bin compartment so any external water/bacteria drips into the drawer below.

If I had two bins I could soak the bin I just emptied in napisan overnight then leave to dry. Our kitchen cabinets look like cheap flat pack sh*te. But I've had no luck finding the bins at M10, Bunnings or Placemakers. They are rectangular, white ones about 7L volume. If anyone has seen them for sale anywhere

Mike

JimmyH

2886 posts

Uber Geek

#2021305 23-May-2018 19:00

I re-use the bags for bin liners. If they don't give me bags then it will be inconvenient at the supermarket, and won't impact my net bag usage at all as I will just have t buy the bags instead.

I guess discontinuing the bags is sensible from a supermarket point of view - it shaves a bit off their costs and boosts sales as people have to now buy bags and bin liners instead. However, given the miniscule proportion of landfill waste that plastic bags actually comprise, this campaign has a bit of a middle class placebo feel to it. It will make only a tiny difference to the problem, people will be inconvenienced by it, but some of them will feel good about the inconvenience and proudly feel they have "done their bit and made a difference" - when they pretty much haven't. There's only a couple of grams of plastic in a typical supermarket bag.

Personally, the Countdown we normally shop at is one of the first few that has gone bagless. However, there are three other supermarkets that are almost as convenient, and out of irritation we have decided to change where we shop. I guess Countdown's loss will be New World's gain.