Say NO to plastic bags

C_Ronaldo

ive not been to germany for ages, do they still have them cloth bags,

Jon_C

Perhaps Martin could team up with Friends of the Earth or similar and a bag manufacturer or major retailer to produce reusable cotton/thick plastic bags.

They could bear the slogan 'www.moneysavingexpert.com - save pennies, pounds and the planet/environment' etc.

Depending on the retailer, they might be interested on giving a small discount (a one-off coupon or a regular discount with a daily limit even) to people who use the cloth bags.

As part of an organised campaign, this would be a good way for users of this site (and anyone else) to do their bit and see that they are not alone, as MSE users or just folks who are making a little effort to help the environment.

Even from the cynic's point of view, it looks like a great marketing opportunity for this site, any environmental charities and, for example, Tesco if they were persuaded to get involved - their 'every little helps' slogan seems to fit this even if their current bag policy doesn't.

Just brainstorming...

PS It doesn't really annoy me when I am offered a bag or when the assistant goes to put my purchase in one without asking me - all I say is 'I don't really need a bag for that but thanks anyway'. Only if they try to insist on it (an odd situation I can only remember encountering in HMV a few times - company policy?) do I become equally snotty

I usually point out that almost everything (with the exception of fresh food produce) is already *in* a plastic bag or other sealed wrapper when you buy it. I'm thinking loaves of bread, crisps, even cat litter which some people bizarrely think is unhygienic (umm, the poo is added to the litter only *after* you take it home). Some of these bags already have HANDLES for fox sake!

Just ask for your receipt, leave the bag behind if they put your goods in one and walk out. They can't exactly stop you.

I find that most people usually underfill their bags in shops, especially supermarkets. I don't know whether this is caused by the assistants who encourage this by packing one or two items into as many bags to start you off but it's a bad idea.

Worse still are people who unnecessarily double-bag their goods. Only occasionally, when dealing with large, particularly heavy items, should you have to do this, especially if you're only carrying the bags a few feet from your trolley to your car boot and then from there to your front door.

If you feel you need a bag (or even two for one heavy item), that's fine. The message here seems to be, just think for a moment about whether you really need it. Most of the time the answer will be no.

carolbee

what a wonderful idea, how would this thread be brought to Martin's attention do you think, I for one would buy for me and others as presents - to spread the word far and wide!

KathrynPenguin

I'm another young"ish" person who doesn't have a problem with using a shopping bag. I have 4 lovely bags and a coolbag which I got free from Waitrose when I registered for scan and check. They are lovely, the 2 big ones will carry 6 x 2l drink bottles! They are sturdy waterproof fabric with wooden dowels inside the handles. The smaller bags take about the same amount as a shopping basket and the coolbag is huge. I also have 2 smaller, not quite so sturdy bags that I bought from M&S, just the right size for a few bits of shopping without carrying large ones around.

Like others have said some shops seem to think you are mad not wanting their "free" carrier. Tesco staff have often commented on how nice my bags are though - even with Waitrose emblazoned on the side! I don't mind giving them the free advert when I walk around either - after all I didn't pay for the bags and they are better quality than any I have seen on sale.

I do however sometimes forget them and then I have to get a load of carriers - well no big problem because in true MSE stylee I use them all as bin liners and they are accepted in our recycling bags (so long as they are clean). Also I have been finding our Tesco's has the biodegradable ones.

C_Ronaldo

what i hate to see is people packing the big multi packs of crisps, the 6 pack of cans of pepsi, boxes of soap powder and them boxes of wine(the ones with the taps on) into carrier bags, im like cant you carry them as they are

Gingham_Ribbon

I only do a supermarket shop every 2 or more weeks. But I get new bags, because the old ones have been used as bin liners. I have fabric bags for any veg shopping I do during the week so I do go through all 5 or 6 bags during the fortnight.

It means I don't have to buy bin liners. But are bin liners any better for the environment than plastic bags? I am not prepared to buy the photodegradable ones I bought years ago, given that they wouldn't see sunlight in landfill anyway. And I expect biodegradable ones are expensive and pointless since I'm only throwing away things that can't be recyled or reused anyway.

Any thoughts?

crutches

i have a huge oxfam "big shopper",a small christian aid cloth bag,2x aldi big strong bags and a crate or 2.we 've also used washing baskets in the boot.

Spirited_2

Please don't get too annoyed at individual members of staff. Whilst working in Sainsburys we needed to offer to help someone pack (even if they had already got their own carriers out) or else we could be knocked down for it in an evaluation or mystery shop. We used to give people a penny back for each bag they reused, but this stopped when the chain began offering bag recycling. I'm glad I'm no longer working there.

When my husband and I open up our shop, I think we'll go for paper bags as our items will be relatively small and usually put into another bag, or easily carried anyway. Maybe have a few carriers for bulk buyers though :P

The_Old_Bag

nabowla wrote:

At the moment I say 'yes' to plastic bags. I used to buy special plastic bin liners for the kitchen and bathroom bins. Now I use old supermarket bags as bin liners. By doing this I'm saving money and have reduced wastage. However, I'm open to suggestions if anyone can think of a greener alternative for bin liners.

Don't know if I'll be lynched or sainted, but I love plastic carrier bags!!:D

I can honestly say I have NEVER bought a bin liner for the last 20+ yrs !! I have old cb's in every bin in the house. Even in the large kitchen bin, the handles loop around 2 hand grips on the bin, and Bobs your uncle - Morrisons and IKEA are the biggest and strongest I find.
I must admit I seem to have an even greater collection at the moment, but I am going to 'donate' about 50 to the local school fayre, and church bazaar - who always seem to be short of cb's when people buy toys, cakes and books etc from the stalls. Local scouts regularly have a stall "Fill a cb with books for £1", as does the local library.
I very rarely throw any away which have not been re-used in some form, unless they are the cheaper and thinner ones which have large wholes in by the time I get my shopping home.:rolleyes:
Having kids I use cb's constantly - wet swim costumes and towels, muddy boots and trainers, taking old crust to feed the ducks etc. Even have outdoor toys and garden equipment in diff coloured cb hung up in the garage and shed, off the floor so don't get wet, damaged, nibbled by mice etc.
In seconds I can lay my hands on a cb full of golf balls, crabbing lines, buckets and spades, flip-flops, wellies, snorkel and mask sets etc.
I pack winter clothes away in the summer in large cb, and summer clothes away in Autumn. Clean and Dust free. Altogether, labelled, and somewhere where I can easily access when needed.
Having had a few disasters on planes, I put all my 'liquid' items I am taking on holiday in individual cbs. Then if/when they leak/split/break I just throw that bag in the bin, clothes not ruined, no need to wash everything in the case. These bags then become 'dirty' bags. Everyone has their own to put their worn clothes in, so clean clothes don't get mixed up on hotel/caravan floor. When I get home all the dirty bags get dropped in front of the washing machine, and clean/unworn ones not 'contaminated'.
I could come up with 1001 uses, and that doesn't include their original intention of getting your shopping home in a bag that will not disintergrate when wet, and guess what , it does tend to rain an awful lot in this country, and I must admit, I have had to put my shopping bags down on the ground before now whilst I open car and house doors, fumble for keys, manage kids and dogs.:rolleyes:
CB are only as bad as their users !!:cool:
There are re-cycling banks at my local Tesco, Sainburys used to pay you 1p for every bag you brought back and re-used, and as loads of people on this thread have said I think every major supermarket chain have a 'Bag for Life'.
What is not to like about something you are given for free (ok I know you'll say they add it on to the cost of the goods) and can be used, and used, and used again ?

Cumbrian_Male

You can get organic cotton bags from Amnesty shop