Simplifying Life

mary43

And I'm sure there are many that we never hear about as they don't make the headlines or history books but just go on with their life doing what they believe in. Bravo to all of them.

Oh, did I hear right today on the radio -that M & S are going to start charging for plastic bags and the money they get is going to some environment agency ?

ceridwen

Yep - M & S are going to charge for bags :T . Hadnt heard owt re where that money is going to go - but if its in an environmental direction - then cant be bad - but what we really need is for shops to stop stocking these plastic bags altogether. If the shops dont have them - then people cant take them.

Thankfully - for the last few months all sorts of places have been falling over themselves to produce attractive and cheap permanent-type bags - I've spent the last year being complimented enviously on my favourite hessiany one every time I use it.

Bobbykins

I saw the environmental person from M&S beeing interviewed on the news this morning. She said that they would be charging 5p per bag from May this year and the money from the bags would be going to "charity" - I don't thing she specified which ones, or whether they would be an environmental type ones or not.

Also, she said that during April, they would be giving away "bags for life" to their customers, in advance of the change. I think that's a really good move - I just hope that the bags for life are not plastic !!.

Sainsbury's gave away bags for life a few times last year, so I stocked up on them but they were still plastic ones. Then I got a couple of jute/hessian bags from "The Good Bag Co" just before Christmas and loads of people have complemented me on them (I promise I have nothing to do with the company!).

I agree Ceridwen, the sooner they are abolished the better. Mind you, I heard some bloke on the radio this afternoon extolling the virtues of them! I had to go away into a quiet corner, think "Zen" and breath deeply to remain calm. A few weeks ago, before I'd found this thread, I promise you I would have been shouting at the radio! :rotfl: :rotfl:

meanmarie

For years I have fought battles with shop assistants who insist that it is a 'must' to take their bags, particularly when buying a small item, I use long-life bags or a box for my groceries ..each plastic bag costs €.22c by law but I still seem to end up with so many bags around the place, I try to use any packaging item that comes into the house at least one more time, but its not always easy.

Decluttering is still a project in the future, getting rid of all the unworn but good clothes is the first step, have found a charity shop that is happy to take clothes...next week hopefully.

Love this thread, thanks Ceredwin.

Marie

mary43

I always take what I call a 'proper shopping bag' with me if I go into town during the week. The checkout girl always asks me if I want a bag........answer 'no thankyou'..............but we have the problem with home delivery where everything is in plastic bags !
The charity shops tend to put things in plastic bags as well but they do sell the 'lifetime' bags............sortof hessian sort and I've seen a lot of people buying them before they've bought anything else.

meanmarie - these good folk on here always told me as far as de-cluttering goes to take it a step at a time. Everyone had their own pace, other priorities in their life that crop up.......and its working for me. Ive come to a standstill but did have a bit of a purge last week so feel I've earned the right to deal with the other 'stuff' on my list. De-cluttering it may not be but it does mean I put a line through something I've done, be it a phone call, letter, anything, so each day there's less to do (until something else crops up.............lol)

moanymoany

It is v ery easy to make a 'proper' shopping bag with a sewing machine. Buy some curtains from a charity shop and wash and dry them. Get a bag you like the size of and make a bag with one piece of fabric. Make hems on both ends. Turn it wrong sides together and sew near to the edge. Turn to right sides together and iron. Sew along the edges - this forms a 'french' seam.

Make handles with long strips of fabric. Turn a quarter inch and iron on the long sides. Fold over and iron and sew along the open edge. Sew onto the bag.

Or just look at this site with easy to make bags - doh!
http://casasugar.com/958873

boredofbeingathome

Been thinking about making my own for quite a while now, i have a few lifetime ones but not the same. In my last year of primary school we had to make a hessian bag, with lots of different stiches on it. I still have it-rather moth eaten, and dog eared and i am thinking of an updated version.

ceridwen

Me - I'm totally useless at sewing. I can take up a very basic type hem (sort of) and sew on a button and thats as far as it goes - so I can only look enviously at those who can run up a tote bag for themselves. Me - I've got a selection of cloth ones (but all bought or given to me free).

But for those more capable than myself who would like a few links to look up - Rhonda Jean has put some on her 28 February entry on her blog:

http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/

Aril

Hello virtual friends:j
Don't seem to have been around quite as much this week but all ticking over quietly [except for the horrible PMT grumps that I inflicted on all those around me on Tuesday. However, I have stuck the old crone back in her cupboard until next month:D]
Absolutely no decluttering done of any sort whatsoever this week and only two kitchen drawers cleaned. Ahh well and not in the slightest bit repentant. Have enjoyed reading to my son instead...he won a book at school just before Christmas for his project work and the story has been signed by the author. I was already a pretty hopeless Mother when it came to sitting down and playing with my son [we're all programmed differently I suppose] but have always loved to read to him. He seems to have inherited my love of books.
Quote for today:
I am rich. I have 24 hours to spend. Like gold coins they shine for me. Let me not waste them; neither let me feverishly spend them in hectic, nerve shattering activity. I would take thought before using them. Let me spend a good portion of them for my daily work and for some form of creativity. Let me save some for friendliness and helpfulness to others. Let me spend at least one day in looking up for guidance, with moments of quiet enjoyment of the wonderful worlds of nature, books, art and music. A little I must save for fun and then a number of coins for a well earned rest. And if, at the day's close I find that some have been spent other that on the way I have planned, let me not fret or despair. When I wake up tomorrow my purse will be filled with twenty four more coins- all shining and new! And I shall be twenty four hours older and wiser than today.
Esther York Burkholder
Aril

Charis

Bobbykins wrote: »

Also, she said that during April, they would be giving away "bags for life" to their customers, in advance of the change. I think that's a really good move - I just hope that the bags for life are not plastic !!.

They are the 10p thicker plastic carriers they have been selling for quite some time, although their models on the site are posing with cloth bags which probably cost a good deal more :rolleyes: . The charity M&S supported in Ireland when they ran a similar project was 'Groundwork', a UK environmental charity. They were supposed to be doing a project in our town but it didn't get off the ground, pardon the pun.