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Stuffing our environment
wrote over here in Ireland plastic shopping bags used to be everywhere; we have bad litter problems and the plastic bags were a very visible sign of that; you got them all over roadsides and in hedges and fences etc. We spent years trying to ask people to use re-usable bags or boxes etc. That had almost no effect but it did allow me to feel very superior everytime I asked for no bag and used my backsack for small purchases. Eventually, the solution was very direct and simple. It became illegal to give plastic bags away for shopping. You could still get them but you had to ask for them and pay a tiny fee (15cents a bag or so). It worked overnight. They have disappeared from the countryside (at least the fresh ones have). Now, whenever you go to the supermarked, you have to remember to bring 4 or 5 reusable ones (made of cloth/canvas of some kind and that last about a year) or get boxes or buy your bags. At first you can never remember to bring teh bags; now it is second nature. It really worked. Yes I think that would certainly change things. I agree it's awful to see the amount of plastic blowing around and stuck in roadside hedges etc but sadly it's true that it takes a charge, however small, to concentrate people's minds on not being careless with most resources. I'm sure it would encourage me to remember to take bags to reuse more often. I can't see the big supermarkets doing it here on their own initiative though, as they'd each be wary of the others gaining some advantage in pricing, so it probably would need legislating for. When you think about it lots of seemingly minor law changes like that could have quite big results in lots of ways. -- Sue |
Stuffing our environment
The message ews.net
from "Sue" contains these words: Yes I think that would certainly change things. I agree it's awful to see the amount of plastic blowing around and stuck in roadside hedges etc but sadly it's true that it takes a charge, however small, to concentrate people's minds on not being careless with most resources. I'm sure it would encourage me to remember to take bags to reuse more often. I can't see the big supermarkets doing it here on their own initiative though, as they'd each be wary of the others gaining some advantage in pricing, so it probably would need legislating for. The Co-op (and Sainsbury iirc) provides "bags for life" for a single payment of 10 p each. It's strong plastic and lasts multiple uses; when it wears out they give you a new one in exchange for the old one which is recycled. If you buy 6 bottles of wine the Co-op provide free , even stronger foldable bags with divisions for 6 bottles. With the internal sections cut out, those bags last indefinitely. For the diehards who use neither, their flimsiest plastic carriers are biodegradeable. We used to carry car-shopping home in used cardboard cartons but supermarkets here are no longer allowed to keep them stacked where the public can take one..fire hazard or some such rubbish. Janet. |
Stuffing our environment
Janet Baraclough wrote: The message ews.net from "Sue" contains these words: Yes I think that would certainly change things. I agree it's awful to see the amount of plastic blowing around and stuck in roadside hedges etc but sadly it's true that it takes a charge, however small, to concentrate people's minds on not being careless with most resources. I'm sure it would encourage me to remember to take bags to reuse more often. I can't see the big supermarkets doing it here on their own initiative though, as they'd each be wary of the others gaining some advantage in pricing, so it probably would need legislating for. The Co-op (and Sainsbury iirc) provides "bags for life" for a single payment of 10 p each. It's strong plastic and lasts multiple uses; when it wears out they give you a new one in exchange for the old one which is recycled. If you buy 6 bottles of wine the Co-op provide free , even stronger foldable bags with divisions for 6 bottles. With the internal sections cut out, those bags last indefinitely. For the diehards who use neither, their flimsiest plastic carriers are biodegradeable. We used to carry car-shopping home in used cardboard cartons but supermarkets here are no longer allowed to keep them stacked where the public can take one..fire hazard or some such rubbish. clearly, in your case, you already do the right thing. In Ireland quite a few people used to do this but the great majority (like in UK I presume) did not and plastic bags got everywhere. Now most people do it like you and all it took was a small law change. It really worked (make it illegal to give plastic bags for nothing; you must charge for them). Janet. |
Stuffing our environment
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Stuffing our environment
. Its the public who won't stop littering unless forced.
Janet MESS!!! You have seen nothing unless you have been to Sri Lanka. We called in at Colombo on our recent Round the World Cruise on Aurora and we were shocked at the litter and mess in the streets. And what did they do when it got tooooooooooooooo bad? Pile it up against a wall/lampost/telephone pole and set fire to it!!! By the way Janet, you may recall you took a poke at me before I left on the World Cruise, and put the report up about Aurora's 2005 World Cruise problems, well I am delighted to say that the World Cruise this year, all 3 months of it, went off without a hitch :-)) Mike -- ------------------------------------------------ Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association www.rnshipmates.co.uk International Festival of the Sea 28th June - 1st July 2007 |
Stuffing our environment
"K" wrote in message Janet Baraclough writes The message .com from contains these words: It really worked (make it illegal to give plastic bags for nothing; you must charge for them). I don't dispute it worked, only (Sue's claim) that UK supermarkets will take no action unless forced: they already do take action. They haven't taken the critical action of withdrawing the free plastic bags. snip Yes, those were the ones I meant. I believe Lidl charge for the flimsy carriers (or used to) but I can't see any of the Big Boys doing so unforced, unless by some miracle they can all agree to do it simultaneously. The 'bag for life' was a good initiative, I agree, and perhaps needs some re-promotion. I've had them from Sainsbury's and Waitrose and they really do last and last. -- Sue |
Stuffing our environment
K wrote:
Janet Baraclough writes I don't dispute it worked, only (Sue's claim) that UK supermarkets will take no action unless forced: they already do take action. They haven't taken the critical action of withdrawing the free plastic bags. It's not a supermarket, but I'd like to draw attention to B&Q, which withdrew free plastic bags over a year ago – mainly as a cost saving but also for the environmental benefits. I've noted on recent visits that the lack of bags doesn't appear to bother people. I was also in Homebase today and they didn't offer me a bag (for my one small item) either. Rhiannon |
Stuffing our environment
On Sat, 06 May 2006 21:42:02 +0100, Rhiannon Macfie Miller
wrote: It's not a supermarket, but I'd like to draw attention to B&Q, which withdrew free plastic bags over a year ago – mainly as a cost saving but also for the environmental benefits. I've noted on recent visits that the lack of bags doesn't appear to bother people. I was also in Homebase today and they didn't offer me a bag (for my one small item) either. Which is all jolly lovely if you happen to have turned up in your car and you can push your purchases on a trolley to load up. Not providing bags other than those of thimble size is hopeless for people who may be walking, cycling or taking public transport (the more environmentally friendly forms of transport) who need something convenient to carry their purchases home in. And yes if it was a planned visit you might take a bag with you but their policy does not work if the visit is an impromptu one. Something tells me they have their environmental priorities back to front if they continue to locate themselves in places best served by cars but then ration plastic bags for those people who have legitimate need of them. -- Paul C |
Stuffing our environment
Paul Corfield wrote:
On Sat, 06 May 2006 21:42:02 +0100, Rhiannon Macfie Miller wrote: It's not a supermarket, but I'd like to draw attention to B&Q, which withdrew free plastic bags over a year ago – mainly as a cost saving but also for the environmental benefits. I've noted on recent visits that the lack of bags doesn't appear to bother people. I was also in Homebase today and they didn't offer me a bag (for my one small item) either. Which is all jolly lovely if you happen to have turned up in your car and you can push your purchases on a trolley to load up. Not providing bags other than those of thimble size is hopeless for people who may be walking, cycling or taking public transport (the more environmentally friendly forms of transport) who need something convenient to carry their purchases home in. As one who has done quite a bit of shopping by bike in the past, I can say that plastic bags are not the easiest of carriers to use on a bike. Most people who cycle regularly will have a rucksack or panniers. (Actually, my local B&Q has put up a wire bin by the door which is full of bags from other shops, presumably brought there by customers. It's good because there is a dearth of facilities to recycle placcies around here.) Rhiannon |
Stuffing our environment
Paul Corfield writes
On Sat, 06 May 2006 21:42:02 +0100, Rhiannon Macfie Miller wrote: It's not a supermarket, but I'd like to draw attention to B&Q, which withdrew free plastic bags over a year ago – mainly as a cost saving but also for the environmental benefits. I've noted on recent visits that the lack of bags doesn't appear to bother people. I was also in Homebase today and they didn't offer me a bag (for my one small item) either. Which is all jolly lovely if you happen to have turned up in your car and you can push your purchases on a trolley to load up. Not providing bags other than those of thimble size is hopeless for people who may be walking, cycling or taking public transport (the more environmentally friendly forms of transport) who need something convenient to carry their purchases home in. And yes if it was a planned visit you might take a bag with you but their policy does not work if the visit is an impromptu one. A small charge (say 10p) would be a deterrent to picking up half a dozen plastic bags with your weekly shop, and might be enough persuade you to tuck a bag in your pocket on a planned shop, but won't break the bank if you finding yourself needing to make an unplanned purchase. -- Kay |
Stuffing our environment
On Sun, 07 May 2006 14:18:50 +0100, Rhiannon Macfie Miller
wrote: [non polluting transport to and from B&Q] As one who has done quite a bit of shopping by bike in the past, I can say that plastic bags are not the easiest of carriers to use on a bike. Most people who cycle regularly will have a rucksack or panniers. Agreed - panniers are the more effective solution. I think garden related transport via rucksack might be a tad difficult. -- Paul C |
Stuffing our environment
On Sun, 7 May 2006 14:22:43 +0100, K wrote:
Paul Corfield writes On Sat, 06 May 2006 21:42:02 +0100, Rhiannon Macfie Miller wrote: It's not a supermarket, but I'd like to draw attention to B&Q, which withdrew free plastic bags over a year ago – mainly as a cost saving but also for the environmental benefits. I've noted on recent visits that the lack of bags doesn't appear to bother people. I was also in Homebase today and they didn't offer me a bag (for my one small item) either. Which is all jolly lovely if you happen to have turned up in your car and you can push your purchases on a trolley to load up. Not providing bags other than those of thimble size is hopeless for people who may be walking, cycling or taking public transport (the more environmentally friendly forms of transport) who need something convenient to carry their purchases home in. And yes if it was a planned visit you might take a bag with you but their policy does not work if the visit is an impromptu one. A small charge (say 10p) would be a deterrent to picking up half a dozen plastic bags with your weekly shop, and might be enough persuade you to tuck a bag in your pocket on a planned shop, but won't break the bank if you finding yourself needing to make an unplanned purchase. The charge would be fine if the bags were sufficiently strong not to deteriorate before you get your purchases home. I have two "bags for life" which normally cope with the weekly shop and get reused each week as they are up to the task. There is no point in keeping a normal supermarket or B&Q carrier bag because they are flimsy and drop to bits and cannot be reused. A charge for something useless would be wrong IMO. -- Paul C |
Stuffing our environment
Paul Corfield writes
The charge would be fine if the bags were sufficiently strong not to deteriorate before you get your purchases home. I have two "bags for life" which normally cope with the weekly shop and get reused each week as they are up to the task. There is no point in keeping a normal supermarket or B&Q carrier bag because they are flimsy and drop to bits and cannot be reused. A charge for something useless would be wrong IMO. They're not useless. They get your shopping home. And IME they can be reused a few times. -- Kay |
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