Plastic bag law is a waste of time

[Rufusgy]

Normal plastic bags are so thin and create hardly Any waste and many people reuse them. I use them to line my bins. So now will have to buy bin bags, that are usually thicker with more plastic.

These bags for life use a lot of plastic and I've seen study's that they waste far far more as they get grotty and people bin them after a dozen or so uses.

If they really wanted to make a change how about getting rid of all the plastic veg comes in or have a plastic bottle deposit scheme?

Its still all this stuff about a free bag if you buy raw fish or razor blades.

Attached a pic of my veg and all the plastic trays!

I was wondering about veg and fruit being in plastic wrap. Do you think it's because there are so many self-scan tills now and it's easier for people to get the right product if there's a bar code on it, rather than having to search on a menu and weigh it?

Our biggest problem with the bags for life is that we have worn ones from supermarkets that we no longer go to. If you could swap an old Tesco one for a new Sainsburys one for example then we'd not have so many ripped ones waiting at home.

Our council does plastic bottle recycling but not other types of plastic (or apparently they do recycle types 1, 2 and 3 at the tip but I've never found out exactly where).

Do you think everyone uses them as bin bags? It will cut down on the amount of plastic used. I have reusable canvas bags. They don't break. They don't need replacing. Yes, food packaging is wasteful but that's a reason to cut down on it not an excuse avoid cutting other waste.

I've got Bags for Life that I've had for years - and if they got dirty, I'd wash them - but then my mum used to wash and reuse all sorts of stuff - cooking foil, sandwich bags etc.

I live in Scotland, and it seems to be working well up here - I'm sure that carrier bag use has dropped dramatically. It does take a bit of forward planning and organisation, though - I have a couple of folding bags that live in my handbag, but dh seems to end up buying carrier bags quite a lot.

I have to say, it is nice to see fewer carrier bags blowing around/caught in trees - it does seem to have reduced that element of litter.

YANBU, or at least you have a good point. In our part of Italy all plastic bags are free and biodegradable (so, probably not actually made of plastic, but starch of some kind?). I think the focus on bag for life is a fig leaf, diverts attention from the much more serious environmental consequences of the way we shop and consume food (beans from Paraguay, etc...) and supermarkets have actually managed to make money out of it by charging customers for bags.

I loved the system in Italy. You have to ask for plas

Argh, posted too soon.

...ask for plastic bags and they give you a reasonable amount (just enough for your shopping). Best thing though is that all the freebies are compostable so you can use them to line your food waste bin. Plus there are bags for life, jute bags etc to buy.

Agree with SDT. They've been charging for bags where I live for years and everyone is used to it. Either get sturdy reusable ones, or pay 5p and continue to use them to line your bins (we do a bit of both).

An awful lot of our fruit & veg is unpackaged and just sold by weight - not sure if the same applies in Tesco/Asda etc as we don't have them here.

Yes would be better if it was corn starch bags. Its silly they have gone to all this effort to charge for bags that are the same old one. They should of at the same time forced them to make all bags biodegradable.

DH always buys them too.. and I certainly use them for bin liners everywhere - as do people in most houses I frequent, also use them for packed lunches when kids go to summer club, wet swimming kit, picking fruit, storing clothes to take to charity shop etc. Not the flimsy ones you get in Tescos/asda/sainsburies these days though - and I would object to paying for strongly - they rip as soon as you look at them.

I get shopping delivered, in stout enough bags they are re-useable, and I don't know what they're planning, but I hope that'll keep my carrier bag holder stocked!

Well, I think the idea is that instead of just buying plastic waste bags, you take the opportunity to buy biodegradable ones instead.

We used to have a shop nearby where you'd bring in your own packet and fill it with their produce (grains, rice, whatever). Such a good idea, I wish more places did it. Like Ecover refills.

It cut carrier bag use by 75% in Wales when they introduced it, so it clearly has an impact on bag reuse. You might not be lining your pedal bin with it, but that's probably because you are re-using it for shopping.

I had this very same conversation with DH on Friday OP. I have used fabric bags for years, some made from old curtains! I buy fruit and veg from a local farm shop most of the time, but, I bought some apples in the supermarket last week, in a polystyrene tray covered in plastic, why??

I think there is far more packaging used in stores than necessary. I always refuse bags for fruit and veg, it just goes in one of my fabric bags together.

A good move but so much more could be done.

Charities will benefit from this as retailers must give the money (after vat and "reasonable costs") to a good cause.

Actually, this article says 70-96% reduction within a year of introduction, as reported by the stores, so a resounding success.

YABU in that it certainly has cut down on how many bags litter the local park and woodland paths around here.

YANBU in that cutting down on plastic bags is only the very first step and that lots of other things could be done to cut down on packaging waste. The packaging industry will remain to have to be convinced though??

yabu
why use bags at all?
I take canvas bags with me if going to the shops on foot. for the weekly shop by car we use foldable crates in the boot of the car. no bags. have wheely bins so no bin bags.

I've been using bags for life for years, and I haven't binned a single one. As a PP said, if they get dirty, I wash them

No need to buy bin liners at all!

I use those charity bags that come through the door. They are perfect.
I wouldn't donate to charity through these bags as I would rather physically take stuff in so they would be wasted otherwise.

Why throw out a perfectly usable plastic bag to then go and buy more plastic bags? Makes no sense lol

Plastic on fruit and veg really really frustrates me. I like to buy organic fruit and veg, having worked in farming it has become really important to me. However most organic fruit and veg seems to come in plastic packaging, meaning I have to chose between buying organic, or buying plastic-free veg. And I'm never able to buy just one organic leek, I have to buy 3

The carrier bags I reuse regularly, and as far as I can see are easily recycled; my Sainsbury's has a bin for old plastic bags, and Ocado collects them as well.

Must add that my conversation was about the fact that carrier bags are the tip of the iceberg and that far more could be done to stop unnecessary waste, as in no polystyrene trays, stop wrapping bananas and fruit and veg that doesn't need it.

Return to some sort of paper product for anything that can take it, etc..

Our council has just revamped its refuse collection scheme and we are now limited on the number of bags destined for landfill that we can put out each year. DH and I both agree it's really focussed our minds on massively upping our recycling and being more careful about what we purchase. We are very relieved to be spending Christmas elsewhere - God knows what we'd do with all the wrapping and gift packaging waste otherwise.

but yanbu about the additional packaging.

It's worked really well where I live (NI). I was very sceptical to start with but now I'm well used to reusing heavier bags. I keep them by the front door. The money raised goes into DRD (Dept of Regional Development) coffers and my daughters primary school has benefitted from a grant to encourage environmental progress in the school, outdoor classrooms, poly tunnels etc

I use these for loose fruit and veg in the supermarket.
www.onyabags.co.uk/onya-weigh-fruit-and-veg-reusable-bags-lime

What exactly is the 75% figure?

I doubt its 75% less plastic for the reasons already stated.

Agree its all diversion from the real problems with our food chain.