Even though I've a cloth tube under the stairs to store 'old bags' in. I nearly always forget to take bags when shopping.
I realise approaching the till I've forgotten my bags and go round the supermarket again looking for a box knowing the till person will glare at me disapprovingly for not bringing bags and begrudgingly get one from under the till when it's obvious from wants on the counter I'm gonna need at least six or more...
A bonus for shopping at Aldi the bags are on my side of the counter and you can get boxes...which compost down...
Here in Wales, we pay for plastic bags - 5p each. I take my own and wholly agree about abandoned plastic bags blowing about, etc. It feels very strange and wasteful when, in England, I am given them freely. However, I know that a lot of 'recycled' stuff does not get recycled because there is nowhere to process it or it is too expensive to send it. (That extract was from a report by the environment agency, btw.) Our lane is too narow for the recycling lorry, so a van is sent down it and the contents of reycling bins are thrown into the back of the van, unsorted. Three guesses what is going to happen to that!
I think a return to greater simplicity is something that many of us would like. Not easy to get, though, when we live in a consumer society. Recession might solve it, though. There is a much greater interest in growing and making your own now.
I have 3 rather smart cloth bags that I bought at Primark about 8 years ago; they live on a hook on the inside of the front door, so I can't leave the house without being reminded of them. They get washed 2 or 3 times a year and should last another 10 years or so. My pet hate at the checkout, especially when I am only buying about 5 items is; 'do you need help packing?'
Gosh, I love being offered hep. I always say yes and enjoy the pleasure of only having to unpack them at the other end. There was a time when you'd just have had to pack them yourself, but today supermarket assistants are trained to offer extra help. Or is it that they take pity on my age?
Mind you, there are different ways of phrasing it. Some say 'Would you like help with your packing?' It is easy to say yes to that. 'Do you need help?' sound more grudging since, obviously, I don't really and it is harder to say yes.
I feel stuck tween the devil and deep blue sea. I shop online and choose to have my goods in bags. Tried no bag choice but so much easier and convenient in bags. However, where once it was packed 'properly', I now find I can have up to 30 bags on each delivery as many times there is one item, one bag. Have pointed this out to Customer Service on several occasion, but still it continues. Aways recycle them on next delivery, but what a waste. When I do a 'small' shop always take my own bags. Hate plastic bags.
When they were free, I always used mine as bin liners and really missed them when they stopped, because they were strong, a convenient size and had handles. I never understood people who just threw them away.
Hi, If the UK Government were to impose a levy of say £1.00 per plastic bag , do you think that might change the attitude of the supermarkets and the consumer .
In Dordogne supermarkets charge for bags. I rather miss being given bags as I used them for other things such as storage, putting plants to give away in, binbags, putting dirty clothes in when on holiday (so dirties not mixed with clean in suitcase)etc.
Now I use my own shopping bags. I hang them on the trolley then leave the trolley in the main aisle so that OH knows where my trolley is. Then he doesn't get lost and I don't have to spend ages looking for him when I've done my shopping and want to go to the check-out!
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Hi, If the UK Government were to impose a levy of say £1.00 per plastic bag , do you think that might change the attitude of the supermarkets and the consumer .
Derek
A levy of 5p per bag has worked in Wales, Derek. Most people take their own bags now. Sainsbury's sell really strong ones for this price and they last for a long time.
I agree with Palaisglide that humans have very little effect on global warming - and apparently the earth's temperature, which does go through variations, has actually increased by only half a per cent since the 1950s.
Posts
Even though I've a cloth tube under the stairs to store 'old bags' in. I nearly always forget to take bags when shopping.
I realise approaching the till I've forgotten my bags and go round the supermarket again looking for a box knowing the till person will glare at me disapprovingly for not bringing bags and begrudgingly get one from under the till when it's obvious from wants on the counter I'm gonna need at least six or more...
A bonus for shopping at Aldi the bags are on my side of the counter and you can get boxes...which compost down...
Here in Wales, we pay for plastic bags - 5p each. I take my own and wholly agree about abandoned plastic bags blowing about, etc. It feels very strange and wasteful when, in England, I am given them freely. However, I know that a lot of 'recycled' stuff does not get recycled because there is nowhere to process it or it is too expensive to send it. (That extract was from a report by the environment agency, btw.) Our lane is too narow for the recycling lorry, so a van is sent down it and the contents of reycling bins are thrown into the back of the van, unsorted. Three guesses what is going to happen to that!
I think a return to greater simplicity is something that many of us would like. Not easy to get, though, when we live in a consumer society. Recession might solve it, though. There is a much greater interest in growing and making your own now.
I have 3 rather smart cloth bags that I bought at Primark about 8 years ago; they live on a hook on the inside of the front door, so I can't leave the house without being reminded of them. They get washed 2 or 3 times a year and should last another 10 years or so. My pet hate at the checkout, especially when I am only buying about 5 items is; 'do you need help packing?'
Gosh, I love being offered hep. I always say yes and enjoy the pleasure of only having to unpack them at the other end. There was a time when you'd just have had to pack them yourself, but today supermarket assistants are trained to offer extra help. Or is it that they take pity on my age?
Mind you, there are different ways of phrasing it. Some say 'Would you like help with your packing?' It is easy to say yes to that. 'Do you need help?' sound more grudging since, obviously, I don't really and it is harder to say yes.
I feel stuck tween the devil and deep blue sea. I shop online and choose to have my goods in bags. Tried no bag choice but so much easier and convenient in bags. However, where once it was packed 'properly', I now find I can have up to 30 bags on each delivery as many times there is one item, one bag. Have pointed this out to Customer Service on several occasion, but still it continues. Aways recycle them on next delivery, but what a waste. When I do a 'small' shop always take my own bags. Hate plastic bags.
When they were free, I always used mine as bin liners and really missed them when they stopped, because they were strong, a convenient size and had handles. I never understood people who just threw them away.
Hi, If the UK Government were to impose a levy of say £1.00 per plastic bag , do you think that might change the attitude of the supermarkets and the consumer .
Derek
In Dordogne supermarkets charge for bags. I rather miss being given bags as I used them for other things such as storage, putting plants to give away in, binbags, putting dirty clothes in when on holiday (so dirties not mixed with clean in suitcase)etc.
Now I use my own shopping bags. I hang them on the trolley then leave the trolley in the main aisle so that OH knows where my trolley is. Then he doesn't get lost and I don't have to spend ages looking for him when I've done my shopping and want to go to the check-out!
A levy of 5p per bag has worked in Wales, Derek. Most people take their own bags now. Sainsbury's sell really strong ones for this price and they last for a long time.
I agree with Palaisglide that humans have very little effect on global warming - and apparently the earth's temperature, which does go through variations, has actually increased by only half a per cent since the 1950s.