Carrier Bag Poll

[kml]

Personally I don`t think paying for the bags will be enough.Some stores ie lidls already charge for their bags but yet they are dumped and left all over the place. There needs to a nationwide education programme to tell people of the dangers that plastic bags pose to the enviroment and wildlife.I think people would be very interested and shocked in just how many bags are being found in the stomaches of wales dolphins and turtles.I take my canvas bags shopping with me.Some villages have got rid of the plastic bags all together and either using corn biodegradable bags or canvas bags.

[Paul mabbott]

Where Modbury leads, London is sure to follow ...

London councils push for plastic bag ban | The Guardian | Guardian Unlimited
Stores face ban on free carrier bags - Times Online

[Marliza]

I hate shopping and since I've been responsible for it in my own household (during the past 35 years), I've managed to take my own fabric bags with me whenever I go to the shops, so I've never needed to use lots of plastic bags. I've always done one large, main shop at a supermarket once a month, to cut down on car use, which saves me money and lessens pollution, but I'm lucky enough to have lots of storage space. I buy fresh foods weekly and usually walk to the shops for those, unless I need to buy more than I can carry, but I realise my methods wouldn't suit everyone.

I believe there is sometimes a need for plastic bags, and I would resent having to pay for the few that I use to keep my fresh fish, meat and dairy produce separate from anything else. However carefully the shopping bags are packed, plastic containers used for yogurts, for example, are now so thin that they crack easily, lids come off, foil tops get pierced, etc, and it's not always possible to put everything into separate fabric bags. My local supermarket recently stopped selling celery in plastic bags, which resulted in the outer stems being damaged while they were still in the shop, so I stopped buying it. I assume lots of other people did too, as a a few months later, celery was once more being sold in bags.

I believe two things should be made compulsory - first, all shops not selling food should have a policy of asking all customers if they need a bag. If so, a free paper one should be given, with the option of a plastic carrier which the customer could request and pay for. For instance, if it's raining and you wanted to buy a book, you wouldn't want it to get soaked in a paper bag, but lots of foods could be put into paper bags, instead of plastic.

The second thing is that ALL plastic bags should be made from the type of plastic that breaks down as quickly as possible. I keep those I've got from garden centres in my greenhouse for later use, and I was surprised to find the oldest ones at the bottom of the pile had rotted into small pieces. They must have been there a couple of years at most. I read a newspaper article recently about a supermarket chain that uses this type of plastic bag, so if one can, the rest should follow suit.

Surely though the most important factor in the use of plastic carrier bags is changing people's attitudes. I'd like to think that reducing pollution of all kinds is something at least discussed, if not taught, in schools these days, so that children are aware of the importance of thinking about the consequences of their actions, but if that is the case, then a number of local schoolchildren in this area haven't got the message, as the bags (and sometimes contents) they're given to take their lunch to school are discarded in the street on the way to school, and the bags are carried by the wind into gardens, local woods, up into trees, etc.

However, most pollution is caused by adults, who should take a responsible attitude to it. Although there will come a time when plastics will become 'extinct', it would be very difficult for us to cope without them at present, but a great deal could be done to lessen their use and, as a start, most plastic carrier bags could at least be re-used.

I know the poll is now closed, but I couldn't have voted one way or the other really, as I believe plastic bags are essential sometimes, and it's unnecessary use of them that needs to be curtailed.

Marliza

[FoxySquirrel]

Ultimately they need to be completely phased out but in the meantime yes we should pay for them.

[Jez]

There's plenty of different biodegradable shopping bags to use to rid the world of plastic bags we should all be using these by now we know the coup! The sad thing to me is so many people think by doing this it's going to stop acceleration alone. though this could be a starter in Britain to lead on to other things to get us as a nation to be thinking and doing more in our aid to Global Warming though it seems to me that even this little frontier is like trying to start a chicken chaser with a flat battery asmost amongst you would seem to agree. If we can't do this simple thing then as a supposedly great nation what example are we actually showing? Go and get a Biodegradable and do the the world good *A Big Jim'll Fix It Now Then Now Then*

[stripee]

Just take your own bag/bags when you go shoppingIt's simple. Don't accept plastic bags. Although when I need one to put stuff in at home, there aren't any. And my shopping rolled out of the car and I ran over some of it

[Kirric]

i wonder how long it takes for the shops to decide it'll be more profitable to bring back the return system.

Although my first guess would be quite a while

so it's up to individuals to do somthing about it

[Jez]

Originally Posted by Kirric

Oh the apathy

[Laura J]

I vote YES....
then even i wont forget to have a carrier bag handy on each visit!

Plastic bags today.... then change tack to other packaging tommorrow! Gotta start somewhere!

[Paul mabbott]

This might persuade some birdy people to behave responsibly:
Wildlife centre stages seabird post mortem - Scotsman.com News
However, it isn't just a problem for birds - turtles, I believe, are the biggest sufferers from waste plastic - and it's not just a matter of carrier bags. It's all plastic. Not easy to stop using sandwich bags etc but we need to do it. Certainly stop buying plastic wrapped good - where possible

[Highland Damsel]

Away back toward the beginning of this thread someone mentioned about the cardboard boxes. Lots and lots of products are delivered in these boxes (or in plastic!) the disposal of these must represent a significant cost why can they not be left flatpack for us to use if we wish, its so much easier and wouldn't impact on time only some space, maybe they ar unsightly.... On the other hand some of those fabric bags from some of those supermarket places are brilliant even my partner, who doesn't get into this stuff uses them for everything (although this does mean less re-use of the plastic bags) including shopping which is a definite thumbs up. I HATE shop assistants that don't ask first and put your 1 packet of crisps in a carrier bag and present it to you proudly...and customers that expect that!!!!!! I have a reputation in our local shop for not taking the bags, they begin to ask and then say no it's you you never have them. What gets me is that this should be unusual, or even notable. Sorry rant over, only just discovered the thread.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Jez

Now that it seems that Christmas shopping is looming i was wondering if i should put a poll out about Carrier Bags! Should we pay for them?
Answer yes
no

Of course not. We shouldn't be using them.

[cherrybee]

I have bought several of Tescos New bags for life.Its just a matter of remembering to take them.I find that they are very good bags and so reasonably priced from 50p to a pound.I now have 4 of the folding ones and they are excellent as they fit into my large handbag or my coat(which has large pockets)and they hold a fair bit of shopping.They are also more comfortable to carry the handles dont cut into your hands and they dont split.I went to another place the other day which were selling the same style bags with there logo on them and thay wanted up to £4.99 depending on the bag.I was disgusted as Tesco ones were so much cheaper so this place was obviously making qute a profit on them and it would not encourage a lot of people to buy them at that price.We also use them to take the put the clean washing in to take upstairs all organised for each room

[Jez]

I can't see why we can't get recycled paper shopping bags not too disimilar to the ones that the yanks use for the shopping- far far kinder on the enviroment!!!!!

[cloclo]

While I do agree that to many carrier bags are used, I have to admit I do use quite a few. I do one main big shop a week at Tesco, I bag my shopping mostly in carrier bags as I have no car and use a taxi to get home, the taxi drivers like the bags tied up, I do use at least two of the blue bags, that can be used again, the other times I shop, I use a four wheeled shopping trolley. If I could think of any other way I would use it, I do use some for the rubish, the rest I recycle by taking back to the shop.

[tufftie]

Originally Posted by Jez

I can't see why we can't get recycled paper shopping bags not too disimilar to the ones that the yanks use for the shopping- far far kinder on the enviroment!!!!!

This dosen't sound good - excuse the cynic in me but something to do with revenue perhaps?!

[tufftie]

Sorry, I worded that last post very badly what I meant was that while I whole heartedly agree with what Jez says in the quote - the reason we can't is to do with government and revenue...which was where the cynic bit came in

[No.9 Spider]

We bought some really nice carrier bags in a supermarket in France about two years ago and are still using them. If we have a home delivery from the supermarket, we ask the delivery man to wait and return all the plastic carrier bags to him. We hate the bloody things!
We always recycle everything possible, and as we run a guest house it is often a big chore and often so inconvenient - cardboard, cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles, drinks cartons. It is frightening just how much accumulates so quickly and a pain to visit the recycling so often to avoid running out of storage space - how I hate recycling!
I just hope it really does get recycled eventually!



No.9 Spider

[Paul mabbott]

Is it just places that I visit but is there much more plastic litter about this winter-spring than usual? Some places are always a mess but I'm seeing litter where I don't usually notice it. Could this have something to do with the high winds over the last year?

Motorways and other trunk roads are a major location - travelling over Rainham Marshes last week (on a train) there was a clear mass of plastic all along the edge of the main Southend Road - clearly just motorists throwing their rubbish out the window.

Seems to be turning up in the sea as well:
http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/hong-kong/science/wildlife-under-threat-from-record-beach-litter-$1218176.htm

[Cheryl]

I can remember when there was a charge for carrier bagsat some stores !!!!! I now always take my own. I try to buy veg and fruit from a greengrocer in town but if I have to buy from a supermarket it makes me mad when I've put it loose on a conveyer and the cashier immediately gets out a plastic bag to put it in!!!!

I'm a manic recycler too No 9 spider !!!!!

[Ipso Facto]

Yes we should pay something realistic to help prevent the use and discard habit. We almost have as many "bags for life" as we did disposables because we buy a new one every time we forget to take one with us. However, there is a downside. Since we have been avaoiding using disposable bags and our supply has dried up we are having to buy plastic bags for the disposal of doggy doos - but I have to admit that they are a bit smaller.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Jez

I can't see why we can't get recycled paper shopping bags not too disimilar to the ones that the yanks use for the shopping- far far kinder on the enviroment!!!!!

But would they actually be better? Is there enough paper being sent for recycling to meet the demand? Otherwise, Where would the woodland be grown and harvested? Is this existing woodland or would other habitats be used to create new woodland - what habitats? Where would the paper - recycled or not - be made? Where would the bags be made? They're much heavier than plastic bags so they will require additional transport for every part of the journies they are involved in...

Plastic bags are light and made as i understand using waste products from the oil industry and they take less energy to be recycled that paper I believe. Although when thrown away they may just sit in landfil but by the same token can be mined back out agan in the future if we need them....

I'm really not sure that the plastic bags are clearly the lesser of two evils - its the disposal methods that need looking into. and actually not just of plastic bags - what seems key to me is that we are letting too much refuse of all kinds into the countryside around us and the marine environment.

[Paul mabbott]

There was an interesting article in the Guardian this week about Modbury - the "first European community to give up plastic bags"!
Hannah Pool visits Modbury the first town in Europe to ban plastic bags | Environment | The Guardian

Interesting the load of stick that they've taken - sure a small West Country town doesn't compare to Manchester or Dusseldorf but where's the harm in trying?

They have always made clear that plastic bags were just the first stage and many of them (shoppers and shopkeepers) have moved on to other, indeed bigger, matters. But the piece also shows up some of the problems. For instance, they're trying to persuade bottled water companies to use glass bottles. There are safety problems there but also, of course, the fact that anything in glass uses much more in transport fuel expenditure than things marketed in plastic. Much more useful, probably, would be to encourage people to drink the water out of their taps ---- but I say that as someone living in Yorkshire, not London!

[andyc123]

If it helps to cut down on the numbers being produced and harming wildlife then defiantely yes!