I disagree, Mr. Happy. If I get the bags for free, I'll use a new one each time. If I bring my own bags I use the same for decades.

It is a welcome policy by all big shops in Germany to charge for bags in order to make customers bring their own bags.

Also (answering a part of the first post), all shops in Germany have to take all the extra wrappings, paper and plastic (no, not the banana peels), back if the customer wants it. They were forced to accept that due to too many customers unwrapping the goods in the store and leaving the wrappings on the floor. Now, all shops have big marked containers (for plastic, paper, and waste) right at the checkout.

Wolfgang