Shopping for Clothes

DigForVictory

I usually carry a jute tote for my everyday usage, which has no fastening & isn't waterproof, so I "line" it with a bag for life which bring a little taller folds over to give me some fastening/closure & waterproofs it. I tuck a couple of folded bags for life in, on a Just In Case basis.

Life catching me amidships, and those folded bags having been used/moved/relocated/lost, I lift the "liner" bag for life out & use the tote. Still not waterproof or closable but, ding! A second bag I can't forget...

Any

I have never hard of any M&S not to offer a bag.
I would be having a word on customer line. This should not have happened. That shops don't have bags anymore is just not true. Especially M&S ones.

I have one of fabric bags in my handbag, which is really sturdy for grocery shopping.
Then on a bottom I have a small bag that folds into a strawberry, no bigger then half my palm for other things or emergencies.

Islandmaid

Look on the Konmari thread and look up Samosa bags, amazing how many of these you can carry around in a pocket or the smallest of handbags

freyasmum

maman wrote: »

I know in principle 5p is a small amount compared with the cost of some clothes but I think it's poor customer service. I've had this conversation in John Lewis. I believe that shops that want to offer good customer service or green credentials as their USP should offer paper bags. I take great pleasure when asked to pay for a bag in JL saying 'no thanks. I'll put it in the free bag from Primark '

For other shopping, I have a large handbag so carry at least 3 folded carriers at any time.

I know that the bag rules are different in England to Scotland, but wholefoods and Primark both charge for their carriers in Scotland, even though both are paper.

I didn't mind paying 5p for a lipsy bag, cos it was massive and looked dead posh with gold foils and stuff :rotfl:

LameWolf

We have a selection of cloth bags which I've used for donkeys' ages, long before the 5p charge came in. We also have a few plastic "bag for life" type bags, which we use in wet weather. The whole lot live in the bottom of my wheelchair backpack.

If any of the cloth bags get grubby, I throw them in the machine with the next lot of washing, so there's always some that are clean enough to put clothes in (mind you, on the rare occasions I buy clothes, it's usually from a charity shop - I LOATHE clothes shopping!)

Blue_Doggy

Thank you all for so many helpful suggestions. I'm glad to see that I'm not entirely alone in finding lack of shop bags a dilemma.

theoretica wrote: »

Paper bags don't actually come out that green when looked at in more detail - while they can be recycled they take a fair amount more energy to make and recycle than plastic bags, are bulkier and heavier and use more resources in transport. And they don't tend to be reused as often on average. Their main benefit is that they don't blow around as litter in the same way as plastic.

see for instance http://www.treehugger.com/culture/paper-bags-or-plastic-bags-everything-you-need-to-know.html

theoretica - goodness, that does look a wasteful process. I'm guessing that it's USA practice though, and keeping my fingers crossed that using recycled paper here in the UK would be a less wasteful process. The use of recycled paper would also boost the market for that material (the local paper collection bank in this village was discontinued because there was no market for it ).

PenguinOfDeath

atolaas wrote: »

I make use of Mr T's Bags for Life, if they get ripped, torn or damaged you can take them back to store and they replace them for you, free of charge...tis awesome!! :-)

Plastic and therefore waterproof :-)

:idea:

In fact, a lot of clothes stores do the same, they just don't advertise the fact as much...I've both a Debenhams and an Outfit bag here that says they will replace for free if damaged..of course you have to go back into one of their stores (which increases their footfall) and resist temptation, but that's not a hard task for MSEers....is it?

Dill

I don't like buying plastic bags, either, so I either try and remember to take some with me (if it's raining) or I just put the clothes in my rucksack. M&S offered me a 5p bag the other day to put my drawers in, but I just threw them in with my other shopping. I wash them before I wear them anyway