High street bakers Greggs have introduced paper bags to their stores across the UK, but customers aren’t happy about one thing.
They’re charging 5p to anyone who wants a paper bag to carry their baked goods in, but many shoppers have pointed out that the government levy only applies to plastic ones.
If you can't carry all your delicious Greggs bakes in your hands, and there's no room in your bag, you can buy one for 5p but there are no free options available to customers currently.
People have taken to Twitter to vent their frustrations over Greggs’ paper bag charge, with one person writing: ‘I can understand plastic bags but paper bags?’
Another customer claimed that ‘The bags are cheap rubbish and no one should be charging for paper bags!’
A third agreed, saying: ‘It’s great that they donate the charge to good causes but it would be nice if customers had the choice over whether to pay.
‘It’s not legally compulsory so they shouldn’t act like it is.’
Read more: Freshly cooked Asda pizzas and Greggs are now available on Just Eat
Last month, Greggs confirmed their decision to charge for the bags but denied that they’d be making a profit from it.
Their statement read: ‘To further reduce our environmental impact we’ll be charging 5p for our paper bags to encourage customers to use their own reusable bags.'
They added: ‘We don't make or keep any profits from the sale of the carrier bags and any profits will continue to be used to support charitable causes.’
According to the website, The Greggs Foundation ‘supports people in need in the heart of our local communities’.
They also ‘prioritise organisations that support voluntary carers, people with disabilities, homeless people and older people'.
However, Greggs aren’t the only ones who have decided to charge for paper bags. H&M, The Body Shop and Boots all charge 5p, with Boots charging up to 10p dependant on the size.
According to The Sun, Morrisons recently increased the charge of their paper bags to 30p, in an effort to encourage shoppers to bring their own.
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