PLASTIC BAGS, is out of sight out of mind?
10 October 2008
At a recent supermarket summit in Scotland, all leading supermarkets pledged to reduce the number of plastic bags given to Scottish customers by half before spring 2009. An important step but still moving at half speed in the wrong direction – why not ban single-use bags all together?!
Sainsbury’s token gesture is to hide their free single-use plastic bags from sight – but customers will still be able to ask for one if they want one. The chain’s stated reason for not charging for carrier bags is that customers say they don’t want to pay…
Dear Sainsbury’s, I also don’t want to pay for bread, milk and pies… would that be ok?
Seriously, do we really need plastic carrier bags? Is it really necessary to use a product for an average of 20 minutes and then have it persist for up to a 1000 years after you throw it away? For a while now the message has been out there: plastic bags are nasty – they pollute our seas, fill up landfills and even end up in our food. And plastic bags are made of non-renewable resources like natural gas and oil. Supermarkets should not pass the responsibility for using the bags onto the customer, they shouldn’t be offering them in the first place.
Thankfully, while we wait for the tide to change, there are many practical and stylish alternatives to plastic already out there. A unique concept among these are the Bags of Change bags which are not only sturdy, stylish, an ideal size for shopping, and completely biodegradable (after having served you for many years), but have an ethical dimension too. If you use your Bags of Change bag at a range of independent organic and Fair-trade shops, you get exclusive discounts on organic food, beauty, baby, eco products and, of course, a wonderful choice of ethical Christmas gifts. At a time when we’re all feeling the pinch they’re an excellent way to keep on shopping ethically without it costing the earth!
And if you’re worried about forgetting your bag at home, don’t be. As discovered by shopkeepers in Modbury, the first town in the UK to go plastic bag free, and in many other places around the world, people actually don’t mind doing their bit and bringing along a reusable bag. Like any good habit, it just takes a while to form and after a month or so (maybe after carrying everything you bought in your arms like I did a few times when I forgot my bag) the habit gets locked in. And when you have a Bags of Change bag you’ll be sure to remember – because every time you shop with it you’ll be rewarded for remembering. With Bags of Change you can say no to plastic and say no to the big supermarkets that are resisting the inevitable. Support ethical independents and help protect the environment. Your shopping habits don’t have to cost the earth.
Paul · Oct 16, 02:27 pm · #
Well on Sainsbury’s website i just read “Now we’ve removed our free bags from the checkout, …”
Yet when I went shopping in the local store in Clapham Junction 2 days ago, the orange bags were in plain sight and the cashier had one ready and open for my shopping by the time I got to the checkout …
Smells like greenwash to me!
Oonagh · Oct 24, 01:34 pm · #
I love what you’re doing – combining environmental awareness and promoting local shops! Keep up the good work ^^