Just wondering what other people think about this ?

We go to the supermarket to get the bulk of things each week and nearly always forget to take out reuseable bags.

However I do wonder about using them in the first place ! Suppose we bring chicken home one week that could easily be contaminating the bag, then re-use it next week ?

Same goes for buying chemicals (bleach/plantfood/drain cleaner etc) that could be leaving traces in the bag then getting on next weeks fresh salad ?

Steve

My view is that it is a great profiteering opportunity by the supermarkets to reduce costs by not offering free bags - its a win win for them as they save huge amounts of money whilst being 'eco-friendly'. I too forget to take my reusable bags to the supermarket and feel like a 'lepper' when I am made to ask for the free bags!

I am environmentally conscious but thing there is a bigger picture to be addressed in some of the bigger nations of the world such as in the far east. I personally think this country puts far too much emphasis on 'political correctness'.

James.

ps - yes there may also be a small case for cross contamination too!

I mostly use re-usable bags, except for raw meat and similar. The problem with not using the plastic carrier bags is this; I used to and still use them as bin liners, when i have them. If I don't get these bags, I have to buy and still use the plastic bin liners. So, the end result is using the same number of bags. When I am running short of the used carrier bags, my cleaning lady brings a sac full of her aainsbury's bags for linning my bins!! She refuses to use the bin liners that I have 'bought' for them, waste of money, she says LOL!!

I think it makes more sense to not put every vegetable/fruit one buys into small little bags, they don't need it. I tend to carry a shoulder bag when shopping for other things (eg.Boots type shopping) and decline the store bags, specially for small items that do not need them. There is enough pre-packaging already!

I think that common sense has to be used.

Mamta

I virtually always use my long life bags... I have a couple of the sturdy supermarket own (mainly because I LOVE the design on the Waitrose ones) but mostly I have a selection of my own. The one I use most often is itself recycled from second hand metallic drinks and sauce pouches (doysen sacs). I love it. I have it with me most days. We also have some of the self-scan bags from Waitrose, these have lasted for years and years and years and years, more than 10 easily.

Since we mostly buy meat in sealed plastic packs it doesn't contaminate.

Where we buy it from a meat counter, they wrap it up sufficiently that it won't leak either!

Vegetables and fruit go into the bag loose.

I still get bags occasionally but mostly from non-food shops or when my Doy bag isn't large enough so I put some goods into it and rest I do ask for a bag.

Do you buy bags as bin liner then?

I go shopping in a local market where there are ots of Indian shops and stalls. All produce (very nearly all) produce is sold loose, and put into very thin plastic bags. Veg and fruit goes into these bags, as well as huge bunches of herbs, and even meat, all separate, and all placed into my Thai bag, made from a re-cycled fish food sack. At home, the fruit and veg is kept in the bags and laced on a veg rack. The meat is kept in the bags, amd put in the fridge, only the herbs are taken out of their bags and put in tubs of water, the bags are kept for when the herbs stalks are thrown away (if they are). No bags are reused, except for the Thai fish bag, so no contamination takes place. Even the meat bags are used to contain any waste meat bits, double knotted before disposal.

We separate plastic bottles etc. into a separate disposal bag, even so, we only put this bag out once in three weeks, so little is the container waste, and in marked contrast to supermarket veg/fruit/meat packaging waste.

Ma, even using my own bags most of time, we end up with enough carriers to use for small bins in house. They are too small for kitchen bin anyway though, so we buy liners for kitchen bin.

I always try to use the recyclable bags (made from old coffee bean bags, tyres etc.) However sometimes I pop in to the supermarket or buy more than I expected and collect extra carriers which gives me a constant supply for lining small bins etc.

However I feel there is too much emphasis placed on bags to distract us from the bigger issue - all the packaging on the products we then place in our reusable bags?

Indeed...

No reason to always buy things like fruit and veg packed into polystyrene trays and wrapped in clingfilm or plastic...

If you stripped everything back you could make all your own soups, stews, sauces etc and no need for tins, jars, plastic tubs etc... !

Maybe if everyone did change back to how I remember it as a child (everyone shopping daily at a veg shop, butchers etc) maybe they would stop with all the over packaging and the nation would become healthier and better cooks in to the bargain ?

Steve

I don't think we'll go right back, just because of the life people live today being so different and the way we source our produce being so different.

But I think a lot of people certainly could reduce the volume of packaged food they purchase, by a significant percent, without that much difficulty.

Same here, I use the small plastic bags as bin liners. While the "bag for life" (joke of the year) in ASSSSDA (05 pence)but it is not strong and tears off easily. When I told them this they said "return it we will replace it for free" (funny). Menawhile Co-oP bags for life are much sturdy, costs 10p but worth it. It is a pity they are phasing off the "bin bags" now, what a pity!!!!! what will i use for my bins ehhh ???

I have many canvas/cloth bags that I get from India for about 50p each. They are very strong and will last me for ever! I have brought a few for my friends too.

I have been known to sew a few bags from old skirts, curtains etc, they also are very strong. My mum used to do this. No one made shopping bags from new material in India in those days. Most of my family still don't. So that in itself is recycling.

May be we should stop using bin liner and empty house/kitchen bins directly into various recycle bins outside. That will mean that they will have to be washed every time!!! For the moment, I get enough plastic bags from some places, occasionally buying a roll of bin liners, which to my mind defeats the purpose anyway!

talking about recycling, my late grandmother used to collect the borders from her cotton saris, which were very beautiful and about 3 inch wide. She used to sew them together by hand and make the most beautiful bags from them, amongst several other things. She wove her own cotton, sheets, bed-covers, durries etc. She made papier-m?ch? pots and huge storing bins from old newspaper and a special clay called 'Multani Mitti', baskets, fans and all sorts of containers from wheat straw, hand fans from reeds, decorated with coloured foil from cigarette packets. She used to make the best ever 'cricket balls' for my brothers from old rags, tightly sewn together into a prefect ball! She was the true recycler of her day.