Student Shops with Suitcase to Avoid UK’s 5p Charge for Plastic Bags

Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves– this was exactly the thought on one student’s mind after the 5p bag charge was introduced to England on October 5th, 2015.

For Sam Berner, a first-year economics and accounting student at the University of East Anglia, what started as a joke turned out to be a clever plan to save those precious pennies; refusing to fork out for plastic bags every time he shops, Sam never leaves for the supermarket without his trusty suitcase.

Via The Tab.

Ever the trend-setter, Berner even got his girlfriend involved. Nina Evangeli, also a student, wrote about her beau’s shopping antics on student news site, The Tab.

Berner told the Huffington Post: “At first it was a joke. I didn’t think I’d really go through with it, but everyone was saying how good of an idea it was and sent me packing.

“I can fit up to £80 worth of food in my suitcase but it depends if you go for the upmarket noodles or the Tesco Value cardboard.”

Via The Tab.

In her report, Evangeli cites a number of reasons for donning the supermarket-suitcase other than just to avoid paying the 5p tax; it prevents the horror of plastic bags splitting, sending your baked beans and smash tumbling to the floor, whilst it also avoids the handles boring into your skin on that long, painful walk home.

“I think the staff think I’ve just got back from holiday,” said Berger, “it’s not until I get to the cash register and open an empty suitcase that I get shocked stares.”

pic.twitter.com/PGeuc0ZGBo

— Nina Evangeli (@ninaevangeli) November 2, 2015

@ninaevangeli where are me and @SamBerner1 going?

— Nina Evangeli (@ninaevangeli) November 2, 2015

The plastic bag charge applies to shops or chains with 250 or more full-time employees. The charge has caused outrage amongst some British shoppers, many of whom have taken pictures of themselves stealing trolleys in a rebellious act of protest.

5p for a bag quid for a trolley #NoBrainer #Needed6Bags @JohnMurray84 @CiaranGriff83 pic.twitter.com/Tm93ftFUG2

— paul griffiths (@paulgrippa) October 10, 2015

For those who are concerned about how they would look as they drag a suitcase down the aisles, Sam has this to say:  “Would you rather have two achy arms and be an extra couple of quid out of pocket from plastic bags or wheel around a suitcase for a bit?

“So far I’ve saved around £6 in shopping bags.”

Image via Shutterstock.

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