Bagged Plastic

[jazzy_dave]

If the government thinks that the 5p plastic bag levy introduced to England today is the end of the plastic waste environmental problem, then at only 2 % of all plastic that is dumped , there is a long way to go, as much as what we buy from supermarkets or via the internet is awash with different plastics right down to those horrible pellets that make up some packaging.

Time to get out the bags for life , cloth bound or hessian bags that we seem to collect and sometimes forget to use.

Comments

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

It's turned out not to be such a big deal here. You pay the small bit extra or you bring your own. But yes, there is an awful lot of plastic packaging and that tax won't resolve that issue.

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

I really need to start keeping reusable bags in my car for when I stop at the grocery store or other places.
When give the choice I always ask for paper bags over plastic. :o
Hugs, Jon

[chomiji]

Several local jurisdictions charge for plastic shopping bags. Sadly, this does not seem to have slowed down a lot of people: they still use the store-supplied plastic bags despite the 5-cent (per bag) charge.

Whole Foods (a/k/a Whole Paycheck) and some other markets will only give you paper bags, which I like for our mixed paper recycling, as an alternative to the plastic. We mostly use our own, a motley collection at this point. I also generally carry two of the earlier version of these guys in my purse wherever I go.

Our town recycles many types of plastics, but not everything is marked. No place that I know of recycles polystyrene, which makes up lots of carryout/takeaway containers as well as the packing peanuts. Many of the companies from whom I order things use air-pacs (which often are recyclable, the same as plastic shopping bags) or cornstarch peanuts instead (compostable). But packing materials for electronics etc. are a terrible problem because very little of it is marked with the plastic type.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

YUS.

And is there any way we can get recycling in EVERY neighborhood please?!?!?

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Our local council does recycle plastics so that's something.

I always carry a shopping bag- it's not exactly rocket science is it?

The little Englanders and the red tops appear to be outraged, but when are they ever not?

[ba1126.livejournal.com]

My grocery stores have recycling machines for glass and plastic and cans. We also have curb side recycling for glass, plastic and paper. When I visited my son in TX, they sold plastic bags for $1 in the grocery stores instead of giving them away. This has led to most people re-using ones they've bought or buying other types of 'permanent' grocery bags.

My daughter collects plastic bags, especially colored ones, and 'crochets' them into beautiful beach bags!!

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

Been using reusable bags for some years now, even though there is no visible surcharge for plastic bags. And I get deliveries with biodegradable pellets in them. Just soak them in water and they dissolve!

Gyro remembered when he was young in England that everybody used calico bags and such. He used to work for the co-op and do deliveries on his bicycle! I guess a lot of things would still have been in paper bags, then.