Sainsbury's go green

[Airehead]

I see that Sainsbury's are starting to use 'compostable' packaging for some of their products. One small step perhaps? Being a natural cynic, I am inclined to think they have found a way to save money, but mustn't be churlish.

I think it is time all unnecessary packing was outlawed. Some years ago there was a positive move toward bio-degradable bags in place of polythene but it disappeared. I don't know why.

[carlj]

Probably cost and the only way to change their policy, is to boycott non-biodegradeable packaging. Problem is, we'd end up buying next to nothing at the moment. Last memory card I bought was packed in enough plastic to fit the reader in with it!

[Mr Mag00]

I hate that plastic packaging its so sharp too once you manage to get in, you need scissors to get in!!! I ask the assistant to get it out and leave them with the packaging, mostly they have to disappear to get scissors to do the job and make some comment about how hard it is to open, to which i reply 'thats why i asked you to do it!'

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Knowing Sainsbury's well(worked there for 5 years), they won't have done anything unless it was of some major benifit to them

[Paul mabbott]

Absolutely agree but how 'compostable' are these plastics? My composting is done in one year cycles - the 'compostable' bags that I've tried take at least three years to break down! With regard to their wrappings, they describe them as 'recyclable' rather than 'compostable' and it's difficult to get a straight answer about whether the wrappings can be put on a compost heap or whether they should go in with the cola bottles ....

I suspect Sainsburys (Co-op and Waitrose have been using these bags for some time) are foreseeing legal action as in Ireland where plastic bags have to be paid for. On this topic, while in France a couple of weeks ago I found that the two major supermarket chains there have simply stopped giving out carrier bags which seems the best idea.

Originally Posted by Airehead

I see that Sainsbury's are starting to use 'compostable' packaging for some of their products. One small step perhaps? Being a natural cynic, I am inclined to think they have found a way to save money, but mustn't be churlish.

I think it is time all unnecessary packing was outlawed. Some years ago there was a positive move toward bio-degradable bags in place of polythene but it disappeared. I don't know why.

[Earth Hart]

Originally Posted by Mr Mag00

I hate that plastic packaging its so sharp too once you manage to get in, you need scissors to get in!!! I ask the assistant to get it out and leave them with the packaging, mostly they have to disappear to get scissors to do the job and make some comment about how hard it is to open, to which i reply 'thats why i asked you to do it!'

I get looks from checkout staff when I buy veg as I don't use the plastic bags so the staff have to weigh them loose, sometimes they go to put them in bags and I say "No, I don't need a bag." You should see their faces when they have to weigh spuds, carrots or parsnips.

Earth Hart

[Airehead]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Absolutely agree but how 'compostable' are these plastics? .

That's a good point, since they seem to be shifting some of the onus onto the local councils by 'appealing' for the councils to do more collection of compostable materials.
Where recycling is concerned I told the council via a questionnaire that I was not interested in supporting their schemes until excessive packaging were banned. Probably a voice in the wilderness. We do use plastic bags for shopping, but they are used many, many times before they wear out.

Another point that annoys me about recycling in general is that someone is making money out of it while the public do the work. When I was young we used to take rags and paper to a local 'shop' and receive money for them. Separated wool clothes fetched a good price.

Also, I think we should go back to re-useable glass bottles. I know this is another irreplaceable mineral source, but they can be used many times. All these 'old' systems are in fact not old at all, but our society seems to have forgotten them very quickly.

[Boddie]

Apparently these plastics degrade quicker than banana skins. I personally feel that Saino's have had a bit of a kicking here for doing something positive. These a dozen more stores yet to follow suit who seem to have got of lightly

[Gill Catton]

yes I totally agree Bods, so what if they are saving money, good for them, they are a business and a British one too I wish them well. It's still better than providing non- biodegradable stuff plus I heard they are also using it in ready-meal packaging and stuff which is brilliant. Plus it might not be compostible on a home garden scale but with more and more councils running composting schemes, I would have thought it would work here - and even if it doesn't at least it will rot down unlike most of what get's stuffed into landfil.

[Boddie]

I heard an old dear from Saino's getting interviewed on Radio 5 last week. Exactly the same response. One of scepticism with accusations that they had simply reacted to an initiative from one of the governments so called 'think tanks'. As she rightly pointed out it takes some time to roll out this sort of program and struck me that the government had reacted to Saino's.

Good on them I say. Its the others that should be berrated

[eeyore]

I'd take there green stance more seriously if they picked up their flippin trolleys and stopped giving away plastice carrier bags at the till

[Wild-Woman]

Our local Ikea have done away with bags and opened their car barriers up so you can take the trolley across the carpark with your goddies. Just hope no one takes the trolleys off site though!

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

Our local Ikea have done away with bags and opened their car barriers up so you can take the trolley across the carpark with your goddies. Just hope no one takes the trolleys off site though!

we have an ikea here but dont often see trolleys from it dumped - i suspect this is because wandering trolley syndrome is far more likely to afflict those stores that sell beer.

[Boddie]

I am not sure it is the lager louts that do this but moreso the uneducated. Sainsbury's Mere Green does not have this problem but Asda Walmley sure does. I would also wager that Waitrose rarely suffers this problem.

[Airehead]

Originally Posted by Boddie

I personally feel that Saino's have had a bit of a kicking here for doing something positive.

I agree, provided it lasts, but as I said the biodegradable alternative didn't last long the last time it was around.

I do have a bias against Sainsbury because when I joined their bank online and sent them an opening cheque they lost it. They have not found it to this day. Actually it was returned to me by their associate Scottish bank, but Sains are not aware of this. So I take a dim view of their efficiency.