Does a 30p bag charge go far enough?

[mark111757 Profile]

From an article in the guardian g2 section Thursday.

Aldi's here in the States uses either the old school paper bags but the handles don't hold up worth a damn. Or there are the higher grade plastic ones similar to the one shown in the foto. 5 cents I think for the paper bags and maybe 15 to 25 cents for the heavier plastic. I hung on them. They worked well but the prob was you could see the quality of the plastic in the bag go down. Still better than the cheapo plastic ones

Prices here were from 2015 or before

[Sakkarin Profile]

It's smoke and mirrors, they're trying to deflect the attention away from all the other plastic packaging supermarkets are using, it was never plastic bags which filled our bins, it was the triple packaging on veg, the countess plastic bottles (mostly WATER bottles, which I consider insane as it comes free through the tap without any need for plastic....), the individual plastic wrapping on yoghurt, and so on and so on.

A few weeks back our biggest supermarket chain Tesco made a big PR thing of making loose veg available, and I wish I'd taken a pic that first week, it was almost like a traditional greengrocer, with all the veg loose, the carrot aisle had about 20 crates of gorgeous looking carrots on display. I knew it wouldn't last, they are just not used to delivering produce like that. Yesterday 18 of the carrot boxes were filled with heavily plastic wrapped "organic" carrots, and there were just two boxes left of manky looking loose ones.

For my personal rubbish, I buy 14 inch square paper bags 100 at a time, but they're no good for chicken bones and the like that the flies love, so I have to go to the council offices and buy their own special biodegradable plastic bags, they won't allow any other biodegradable bags, it has to have the council logo on to be collected.

Bottom line is both the paper bags and the biodegradable bags cost 5p, the same as the plastic bags used to.

[Pampy Profile]

The Tesco that I go to has started to sell mushroom loose again - they did it years ago but then stopped for some unknown reason. They still have all the plastic wrapped punnets though. Carrots, swedes, parsnips, cauliflower, white cabbage, sometimes leeks are sold both loose and plastic wrapped - haven't a clue why both.

[Sakkarin Profile]

Watford was the store they trialled the scheme in. Again that first week, a huge display of 12 or so boxes of pure white shiny loose mushrooms.

Yesterday 2 boxes of manky looking leftovers, although I managed to find enough freshish looking ones for my needs.

[Alexandria Profile]

Sakkarin,

In Spain, a new bag, has been developed from " bio potato peelings recycled " and the texture is silkier and smoothier than the old plastic bags, and they require doubling as they are thinner than the plastic and free, and they are pretty good but not as sturdy as plastic so the doubling is necessary. When I am going to the market or a supermarket, I have a "cart" so I just load all in the cart or a big "linen" bag.

I also use paper shopping bags from the shops (Zara for example) if just buying a couple of things and have them in my big shoulder bag.

Tap wáter is not actually free, in Spain, we do pay a wáter bill every 2 months. Not expensive .. ( 20 - 25 Euros for 2 months ) ..

[cherrytree Profile]

We pay a water bill here too.

[Renee Profile]

I only use coated "linen" type bags now, so don't bother with plastic bags. I have nylon bags which fold up small to use when buying clothes. I also have nylon mesh bags which I take with me to put fruit and vegetables in. I still buy packaged mushrooms.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I'll be pleased when tomatoes aren't in the supermarket plastic. There's sometimes a manky one in summer, that you cannot see hiding behind the label.
& When I have a free moment, I'll get the sewing machine out and run up a shopping bag with little pouch.
I can sew one that folds down more compactly than buying a nylon one, taking up less space in my handbag ( which has to accommodate my keys and Tony's keys, my glasses and Tony's glasses, my phone and Tony's phone, a little pack of tissues for me, and a box of tissues for Tony).

Our recycling bin is embarrassingly filled with plastic water bottles.
When Tony is in training, he uses it.
I only use council beer from the tap.

30p is a learning charge. To remember to take bags.
It doesn't matter how much they charge for them at the till, if you have taken some bags of your own.
If they charge a pound, you'll feel like you are saving a small fortune, and the planet.

[Binky Profile]

Tony needs a Man Bag.

There are lots of masculine-looking leather ones, and a tough nylon one by Samsonite. OH uses that one when on holiday. It has lots of pockets and is super lightweight. Recommended.

[Joanbunting Profile]

I have said before that our usual supermarket sells almost all fruit and veg loose but provided so-called biodegradeable plastic bags for them. They may be biodegradable in a few years but they don't degrade in our very large and otherwise efficient comost bin. So I use the Veggio bags from lakeland which have a label on which to stick the price tag. I have used the same lot for well over a year now and almost eveery week either a check out assistant or another customer says they are a brilliant idea and where can they buy them?
The irony in Leclec is that only the bio (organic) fruit and veg are wrapped in plastic and in plastic trays.

Doesn't Tony have a non plastic water bottle or too Gill? I have a supply for our own use and for when friends and family come.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Agreed Binky.
He has one when he's on his bike, a gift I almost grabbed for myself. It only took 3 years for him to begin using it.

Joan
I don't know what it is about these bottles he's buying.
He is in full training and takes mint and green tea (cold) in a flask, pineapple and something else in a gym bottle.

Plus bought water to hydrate after his mammoth swims. Beats me why he doesn't take tap water tho.

I've got some cheap ebay sandwich/ paper bags that are rather rubbish for that intended job. Soggy and pulpy.
I'll take them to the shops when I'm buying the veg. Good thinking.

[Pampy Profile]

I use the Lakeland fruit/veg bags too - and like Joan, frequently get asked where to buy them, by other customers as well as staff.
I always have nylon foldable bags in my handbag and a number of strong jute bags in the car boot, along with a small cool bag and a bag which is described as a beach bag but is very handy for shopping https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1 - it's lightweight and the cooler bit at the bottom is most useful.
I find the starch bio-degradable carrier bags useless as they're so thin.
I don't buy bottled water - I drink corporation pop from a filter tap in my kitchen and always use re-usable water bottles.

[jeral Profile]

The daftest thing about most supermarket plastic carrier bags is that they have air holes punched through, which severely limits alternative future uses. Although a few are now saying they're scrapping bags altogether.

Some veg items do keep much fresher if packed in that inert gas, especially organic which goes off the minute you buy it (well almost). Packages were introduced to promote higher sales through fast pick up of items, i.e. it became so quick that people would pick up far more than they came in for. Plus unsold items could be easily dumped. Both leading to more food waste. The shake up has probably come about as much to do with Aldi and Lidl cost competition than any green motives.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I treated myself to a knockoff copy of a Chilly’s bottle from ebay. Stainless steel, vacuum insulated. I love it. Really keeps the water cool, no taste, no leaks I too have a filter tap.

I’ve been using proper, reusable, shopping bags for decades, always carrying folding ones. Partly because I have to carry my shopping upstairs and I used to find the free carrier bags unreliable. Have had fruit and veg bags for years too

There are a couple of zero waste shops round here to which you take your own containers for dry goods and cleaning stuff. I don’t use the cleaning stuff as it smells weird to me

[Pampy Profile]

Years ago there used to be a "weigh it yourself" shop where I live that sold all sorts of dry ingredients - sadly gone, along with many other shopping mall companies.

Stokey - could you post a link to your ebay purchase? None of my water bottles are insulated and I'd love to get one that will fit in the cup holder in my car.

[Linnet Profile]

Surely the reason the organic stuff is pre-packaged is so that it cannot be mixed with the regular fruit and veg, so that pricing is clear at the till?

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Years ago there used to be a "weigh it yourself" shop where I live that sold all sorts of dry ingredients - sadly gone, along with many other shopping mall companies.

Stokey - could you post a link to your ebay purchase? None of my water bottles are insulated and I'd love to get one that will fit in the cup holder in my car.

Comes in various sizes, I went for 700 ml as I do go out all day walking sometimes

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350ml-1L-Water-Bottle-Vacuum-Insulated-Flask-Thermal-Sport-Chilly-Cold-Cups-UK/112975660544?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=413352459042&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648

I thought it smelled weird when I tried to wash it out but it turned out it was just one of those little sachets of silica gel inside, and it was quite a strong odour when it got wet

[Pampy Profile]

Thanks Sue!