Sainsburys going bag free

[Graphista]

Just received email from Sainsburys saying they're going bagless with deliveries.

I GET that this is supposed to be a "good thing" for the environment (though quite honestly I notice they're doing fuck all about individual packaging which I suspect would make a bigger difference!) BUT for me this HUGELY problematic.

I have OCD and so for me my groceries being in bags just feels a lot more hygienic. Than scrabbling about loose in crates that from what I can see are rarely cleaned!

In addition I live in the west of Scotland - it rains here pretty much most of the time! Already when it's wet weather the grocery bags are sometimes soaked but at least the individual products are dry!

I'm also physically disabled which means I already have to take 2-3 hours to "prep" to receive delivery of groceries (stretching exercises, bath, time for painkillers to kick in).

And there's more...

My flat is TINY the kitchen particularly so! It's a HALF galley so only one person can fit in there at a time (and even that's at a push! Dd and I have had to learn how to move in this kitchen so we don't constantly bump ourselves on cupboard edges etc).

With my disability I can just about manage carrying 2 carrier bags into kitchen at a time and placing on the floor when delivery comes. Drivers already get impatient with me!

I have sod all counter space (0.75m X 0.75m) to place items on, a few are normally placed on the cooker too but because of the hob shape only certain items fit. The ocd means I cannot put stuff on the floor absolutely NO WAY I could do that!

Fridge stuff takes careful management as small fridge and to fit everything in on fridge day is like setting up a Jenga game without a box!

IF I were to insist driver simply had to wait while I put everything away properly, well that normally takes me 60/90 mins!!

I have NOWHERE I can store crates (even collapsed) or bags for life

What the hell am I supposed to do?!

This is causing me GREAT anxiety so PLEASE be mindful of that in replies I would appreciate that.

I sympathise OP. I am lucky that generally DH takes in our deliveries, but when Tesco went bagless I had to do the first one as he was out and I really struggled. Carrying a few bags with handles into the kitchen, compared to picking up several objects - even to decant them to a box right next to the crate - is a heck of a lot more gripping, tensing my fingers etc. My hands were agony the whole day. My disabilities are generally well controlled but little things like this have a huge impact.

If I have to do another one I’ll try to ask them if they can help move stuff perhaps, but I’m also autistic and really struggle with interactions like that and asking for help with anything.

I really hope things get easier for you. People have no idea how debilitating OCD can be.

Have you heard of ACT by the way? Acceptance commitment therapy? Sorry if I’ve missed it upthread. It sounds hippy and it is a massive change from CBT, but it’s the only thing that’s helped me in 18 years of MH intervention.

@LivingInLaputa

I'm so sorry you experience similar difficulties.

I HAVE heard of ACT and had some success with it but unfortunately there are few practitioners and mine moved to a different healthcare region.

Nobody else in this region in MH services has even heard of it!

Doesn't surprise me that you're also autistic as there seems to be a link between OCD and asd - but they aren't sure why. Some think because same parts of brain affected, some think a genetic link.

I think they are all bagless now, Tesco's has been for years

Tesco only changed to compulsory bagless deliveries in August. The driver who delivered mine on Friday said because of the sheer volume of complaints being generated- mostly by their drivers - about the new system management are going out with them next week to see how its affecting deliveries.

Not sure if this is just local but at least they're looking at it

@Redglitter oh that is interesting - and supports my conversation with Tesco the other day!

Call handler was being somewhat careful, but yes I was definitely getting impression that they'd had a lot of complaints about it.

As I keep saying, abandoning plastic bags fine BUT they need to be replaced with SOMETHING.

Using reusable bags for in person shopping where you're doing the packing as a normal part of the shopping and not holding anyone else up is one thing, but having to faff doing it with a delivery and being very conscious that you're holding the driver up is quite another.

I'm also not surprised it's drivers complaining! This is going to make their jobs so much more time consuming and harder. Being semi rural myself there can easily be quite a distance between deliveries. And I suspect they're penalised if they're late to a delivery and customer complains. Something I've only had to do once and they were over 2 hours late! Turned out the vehicle had broken down

I have a small compact bag that stores 10 cloth reusable bags rolled up (thin strong fabric). I keep this in my bag all the time as I don’t get groceries delivered so I either use a couple for a quick grocery shop or lots for when I do a big shop.

I then throw them in the wash after I’ve used them and they dry very quickly.

I don’t like the plastic bags for life at all and wouldn’t want to reuse them anyway as they get dirty and i know I wouldn’t keep track of what items were in them and if there were spillages of milk/blood etc. If dh gets the plastic bags for life we never reuse them and just donate them to charity shops.

No lids on the crates is an issue worth pursuing with customer service.
Also the cleanliness of the crates is also a problem and should be raised now that this added protection that having bags for the groceries is now gone.