Plastic Bags

[emmie]

will you care that you will have to pay 5p for the privilege, i can't see it making any difference at all, now if you banned them in shops entirely, then the folks would have to have a bag for life, not the missus either,
or take a trolley, backpack, some other means of transporting the goods.

[emmie]

the times they are blown about the town, on the beaches, clogging up the roads, hedgerows, rivers, seas, damage to wildlife can't be discounted.

[hc4361]

Will the supermarkets stop wrapping swedes and cucumbers in thick plastic sheaths?
What about the plastic/foam tray they put the raw meat in?
Why are cauliflowers sold in individual plastic bags?

[sherrardk]

I'm amazed that the government doesn't have anything more important to be sorting out, plastic carrier bags can't be the biggest problem for the country.

[kloofnek]

That is a thought Maggiebee...I live in England so the situation has not arose yet but boxes are a good idea...nearer to Autumn when the 5p fee comes in to force..will ask about it at the supermarket.
I dislike plastic bags...so common..I always take a nice foldable tote bag when I go on a shopping spree..although I do not mind the bags from "posh" shops...I am being snobby now...aren`t I but I am not really...just like a bit of class.

[maggiebee]

hc4361 Lidl and Aldi don't wrap swedes, cucumbers etc in plastic. Could that be why they are outselling the bigger supermarkets - maybe you're paying for the plastic wrapping in Tesco etc.

[hc4361]

emmie, all litter causes problems for wildlife. The thick plastic 'bands' that hold cans of beer together are particularly bad.

[maggiebee]

I'm with you there kloofnek - I always use my Harrods tote in Aldi and Lidl lol.

[Barmaid]

HC, I always cut those bands in every way I can before I dispose of them.

AND if you shop at Aldi you have to take your own bags unless you want to pay for them. I've got into the habit of taking a shopping bag everywhere.

[hc4361]

maggiebee, I buy all my fruit and veg from a greengrocer so no wrapping but I do see supermarkets shrink wrapping the veg.

Aldi sell a lot of veg pre packed in plastic trays, wrapped in plastic so they are not much better than Tesco.

[emmie]

all litter does cause problems and not just for wildlife,
as to having bigger problems, of course, but this is something that can be sorted out sooner than later.

[ummmm]

I watched on TV that plastic around veg keeps it fresher for longer. I have to agree.

[ludwig]

Like alot of people I use the plastic supermarket bags as bin liners.

If they charge for them I'll just have to start buying the purpose made bin liners, but from a 'green' point of view it won't make any difference - there's still going to be a plastic bag going into landfill at the end of the day.

[emmie]

i never know why supermarkets shrink wrap hard to get off plastic on cucumbers and some other items, much of our packaging is completely unnecessary. I also buy veg, fruit from a market, so don't need endless paper or plastic bags. If i do i will take one with me, the cotton bag i have for that use only then stuff the whole lot in the trolley,

[hc4361]

If you have a car something like this is a great idea - put all your shopping back in the trolley and wheel the trolley to the car, unpack in to crates

http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-32l-folding-crate-black/212-4157.prd

[emmie]

DF, if they are addicts they surely have to take the stuff there and then

[emmie]

hc, which is what i see any number of people do, however its down to the supermarkets to stop making them, or the science boffins to come up with a material for carriers that in no way harms the environment.
plastic bottles, bags, containers, all mostly non biodegradable, so end up in land fill, which in turn isn't a good thing.

[DrFilth]

emmie it is not just addicts that have drugs that are classed as class a

[emmie]

isn't it, besides they are small bags generally, and can be recycled if people remember.

[Spannerfiend]

Really couldn't care less. We have about 8 shopping bags in the car and always use them.

My Mum, then about 80 was asked to pay for bags years ago in Gateway/Brixham. She said she wouldn't pay, and the checkout girl wouldn't budge on it, so she left the full trolley at the checkout, and walked out.

[emmie]

more fool her, i suppose she had to go and get the shopping elsewhere,
taking one or two with you isn't exactly a hardship surely, or a hessian style bag,
as to charging 5p that is hardly likely to make a dent in the weekly shopping.