Warning issued to those who steal carrier bags while food shopping

Ever pick up a carrier bag without paying for it at the till of a supermarket? We won't tell if you do...

However, we will make you feel bad for a second by issuing you a warning about why this is a no-no (apart from the fact that it's stealing, obv).

First, though, know you're not alone. A poll from BusinessWaste.co.uk proves that theres a pretty large number of people who like to steal bags from supermarkets – three in 10, to be exact.

If you steal plastic supermarket bags... here's why you shouldn't (Credit: Getty)

Yup, you most likely have a bunch at home, tucked away for a rainy day, but every now and then you'll pop into a shop unplanned or leave the house in a hurry, and that's when this kind of naughty theft tends to happen amongst 30 percent of you. Tut, tut.

The reason this is bad is because the money raised by selling carrier bags in shops is usually put towards a good cause by the supermarket in question.

A spokesman for BusinessWaste, Mark Hall, said to Ladbible: “While it’s always better to be prepared and reuse the bags you already have, at least it softens the blow of having to shell out for a bag if you know that the money is going to a good cause.

Stealing carrier bags 'isn't a victimless crime' (Credit: Getty)

“And if you are part of the 30 percent who have admitting to nicking one, then technically you’re stealing from charity. It is not a victimless crime.”

Yikes.

So, think of paying for a carrier bag as a forfeit for leaving your reusable ones at home, and you can shop safe in the knowledge you're giving to charity too. Karma restored!

Carrier bags came with a charge back in 2015, when a 5p charge was added. This minimum fee was then doubled back in 2021.

Remember those bags you have stashed at home (Credit: Getty)

Paying for plastic bags seems to have deterred people from forgetting a reusable one, too (except for those of you nicking 'em).

Apparently, since charges were brought in, the amount of customers in England taking home a single use plastic bag has dropped by 95 percent, from a rather shocking initial figure of 7.6 billion.

Not too shabby, eh?

Featured image: Getty