To bin most plastic bags

[CharlotteCollinsneeLucas]

I used to keep all bags: bread bags, bags from frozen veg, all sorts of bags, all the ones that say they are recyclable. I'd stuff them into a bread bag and when it was full, keep it till I was going near a big supermarket because we don't live near any, then chuck it in their recycling point. Which usually has a tiny opening so you can't stuff many in without feeling like you're doing the wrong thing.

I found out i could give bags to the delivery driver when I get my grocery delivered... Except they are told just to take the shopping bags, with the shop name on, y'know.

So, all these bags that say "recyclable at larger supermarkets" and actually the supermarkets don't want that responsibility. And who can blame them? I've given up and am throwing them in the bin, but it's an endless stream and I hate to think how many are being chucked across the country. I'm now looking at ways of cutting down my use of them, but I'm feeling rather disheartened by the whole thing.

We used bread bags as our bin bags.

I found out i could give bags to the delivery driver when I get my grocery delivered...Except they are told just to take the shopping bags, with the shop name on, y'know.

Well yes, because they refund you 5p per bag, or at least Morrisons do.

Ask at your local charity shop/primary school/nursery/Brownies group etc, as they often need bags for kids to take their crafts home in.

Alternatively, if you're on Facebook you could ask on there if any charities or clubs need them.

Why can’t you keep taking them to the supermarket?

It's not many that you can recycle at the supermarket, just the ones that say so, so I'd just drop them off a few times a year.

Every week I have four or five bags that hash loaves of bread in, four or five smaller bagel bags, and maybe one bag that had frozen veg in. Then all the fruit and veg gets delivered in tiny flimsy bags, even if it's sold loose.

They're not good enough to reuse. Apparently the technology exists to recycle them. I just don't believe anyone wants to recycle them.

Hash?? Had!

I think TerraCycle do bread bags if there’s a drop off point near you

I used to take them to a supermarket. Plastic bags are one of the easiest things to recycle.

"all these bags that say "recyclable at larger supermarkets" and actually the supermarkets don't want that responsibility."

I think they do. It's one of the ways supermarkets try to fend off a complete ban of single-trip plastic bags.