While shopping at the local ASDA the other day, we reached the checkout only to be told that there was a three carrier bag limit. As in, no matter how much you have bought (or, how much you have spent) you could only have three carrier bags.

Oh dear.

Not so bad for us, I grabbed the last reusable (fabric) bag from the adjacent checkout – and as we noticed on the way out, the last fabric bag in the store – and we just about made it work. However, there were people behind us with full trolleys who simply weren’t going to manage.

I think the phase-out of plastic bags has to happen eventually, and I can’t help but applaud ASDA for taking the initiative. But I have to criticize the way they’ve gone about it.

Me, and the girlfriend, spent some time near the entrance of the store as we had to go in to get change for a trolley and not once did we see a sign alerting us to the change in carrier bag policy. I noticed they’d also taken the carrier bags from the self-service machines, and everyone using the machines was simply piling their purchases on the scales and carrying them out sans-bag.

Oops!

So, is this just a one off pilot store – or is this nationwide? And if so, is it just Hulme where they didn’t feel like warning their customers?

[Update]
It looks like they don’t do plastic bags at all anymore. Especially weird since the ASDA near work is still handing them out. Perhaps this is a pilot store?