Is anyone else fed up of Plastic bags?

500yearvision

I'm really pleased that people are realising that plastic bags are rubbish.


I normally have my onya bag on me, but a colleague I work with drives to the supermarket, she said that she loads all her shopping back into her trolley, and then from the trolley into a very large bag in the back of her car. It takes 2 people to lift it out at the other end. But, no plastic bags!

VJ13

Yeah my dad used to do that but it's rubbish for if you want to do a big shop. It can take ages to unloaded the car, re-usable bags are definatly the way to go.

Don't you think that the government should give us an incentive though, like banning plastic bags and for all those we recycle (say for every 15 of them) we should be given a free reusable material bag.

Maybe that would change are carbon emmisons and the state of our land???
However i dont ever think we can go back now plastic is too far spread and widely used, we will always have plastic in our environment which is such a shame, although it is a very usefull material.

What do you think?

make_life_easier

I alway's reuse my carrier bags, but the rest of my family alway's come home with new ones.

Since being able to recycle plastic's I have reduced my rubbish quite a bit and only need about 2 carrier's a week. I make sure that the bags have been used quite a bit before using them as a bin bag. (any rips can be mended with a bit of tape).

Zagu

Well, Ive just been to Sainsburys for the first time since I posted on this thread. I decided to count how many people I saw with their own reusable bags. Id say that, at best, about 1 in 25 take their own bags, and at worst its about 1:50.

It surprises me that the figure was so low. I presume that the vast majority of people made a concerted effort to make a supermarket trip, and not that many were there because they just happen to be passing. If they know that they are going to the supermarket, why not take a bag?

Im going to make a e-petition calling for a plastax similar to the one they they have in Ireland, where the use of such bags has dropped by 95%. I doubt that it'll make any difference, but its free and easy, so worth a go. I'll post a link here when its done.

zippybungle

I must admit that I use a lot of carrier bags (Tesco ones). I use them as rubbish bags, then put them in the wheelie bin when full. I don't like putting rubbish into my wheelie bin if it isn't bagged as it sticks to the bin and rots.
I never just throw them away on their own though.
I do try to recycle everything else where possible (plastic bottles, tins, glass, paper, batteries, shoes, clothing, use real nappies)

Zippy x

Poppea

I really don't know why people need to use carrier bags to wrap their rubbish in. I haven't used plastic carrier bags for over ten years now. All my rubbish goes into those small bags,(bread, apple, toilet roll,etc), which most people discard without even thinking about.
When I go shopping everything goes into hand made fabric bags or if I'm going to the supermarket then two cardboard boxes. These same two boxes have lasted me nine years now!
Zagu, I agree with your comments 100%. We should definitely have a plastic bag tax. We should all petition our local MPs or other relevant people. In fact I have already e-mailed Tony Blair on his web site SEVERAL times asking for such a tax. It's ALWAYS worth trying to change something you feel strongly about.

nethesi

I agree with what everyone's been saying about plastic bags being evil! I can't believe anyone actually takes plastic bags but sadly I don't think the Sainsbury's that has 1 in 25 people not taking bags is unusual, when we go to the supermarket we seem to be the only ones...

We only have 2 bins in our flat - one in the bathroom that is really only there for guests that only gets emptied very rarely, this gets bags that we aquire when people give us stuff, or loo-roll bags etc and the kitchen bin which is a biggish one which we put our black bin bag into directly (we use the biodegradable ones, but would be interested if someone has an alternative suggestion?). This fills up gradually over about 3 weeks and we then stick it in the communal flat bins (probably still not completely full). We rarely eat meat so it probably reduces the smell issue that some people were discussing on another thread.

I've also got my OH onto re-using the bags that apples come in as sandwich bags and even - shock horror - not using them at all, but putting them direct into his lunch box.

Our organic veg comes in a green plastic bag but this is a sturdy one and is returned to the grower to be re-used (not just recycled)

Has one of you set up a petition on plastic bag tax, I'll sign it in an instant! Post a link.

I think even those who think they 'need' their carrier bags would massively reduce the number they take if there was say a 5p tax on each bag. And this isn't just an issue for the supermarkets - practically every shop I go in trys to get me to take a bag, even the local oxfam, although their's are re-used.
But that would still be cheap enough that if you actually needed one it wouldn't stop you getting it.

Steel_2

I'm forever trying to stop carrier bags coming into the house, but for some reason my mother and mother-in-law have a conspiracy going to smuggle in as many as possible.

If my MIL has a couple of magazines for me, into a carrier they go. Packet of biscuits? Into a carrier bag. Anything and everything individually wrapped ina carrier bag.

Drives me barmy.

I've lost count of the number of fabric bags I have around the house and in the car. I realised the only way to remember to take them with me was to have them in quantity everywhere. They're hanging in the kitchen, back of the living room door, sat on the stairs, on the table by the front door....

500yearvision

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3013419.stm