h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

well it had to happen,
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this morning i went to town, to have a few hrs at the cyber,
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then called to morrisons to get a few things
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got to the counter, and "have you got a bag" i heard, "no, should i have".
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"i,ll give you one today, but you have to bring your own from monday, or buy on of ours" she said.
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so the end of the plastic bags for free as come, you can bring there,s, or any you have, still allowed.but they will soon rip or be useless, so its going to be but one or two strong ones you can keep in the pocket.
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yes, time for the bags to go, but what about the companies that made them, and the workers, more heading for outing,
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its the catch 22, again, no bags, less to recycle, or the ones making them, going out of a job.as the firms have less orders to fill. as, or when will asda and other follow suite,
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the winners will in time be the plastic bag collecters, their collections will become worth more lol
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jimbob

When we went shopping this week our usual supermarket has now started using unmarked bags that could mean they are on their way out too

hi arnold
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the changes in the last few years here, in the recycling and so on, will it ever stop, whats next,
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jim

Jim,

I am so pleased to hear this, Morrisons has been one of the worst offenders for giving away plastic carrier bags, and I shop there! I take cotton bags with me when shopping, and if it is raining, strong plastic bags, as I don't have a car.

China stoppe manufacturing the light bags a while ago and they supply most of the world with bags. I am sure they have found other things to manufacture in plastic. This has been coming for a long time so there is no real excuse for a company not to diversify.

Quite apart from the litter and the recycling issue, there is a much more important reason for banning the bags.

If you have time, would you like to read my article on the subject A31079883 Things have moved very fast since I wrote that, and most stores are heading towards 'no bags' with some going one step at a time and charging in the meantime. I think M & S said by charging they have reduced take-up on their bags by 70% or something like that.

*****************

Moonraker, I am sure you are right. Japan is leading the way with recycling it seems to me and this is another step in the right direction.

Websailor

hi webby
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its a good thing i agree, but here we have another problem
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the main morrisons as the trolley bays, and some have been taking trolleys away, that dont have cars, there was two trolleys in the field this morning.
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next it will be the trolleys with alarms to trigger over a short distance. or cams to watch over the carparks day and nighttime.
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the point is that supermarkets will have to pay more in the long run to protect the trolleys and even the baskets. and we will get the extra costs jim
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its the old catch 22 all over again.

Do they use coin slot trolleys? Most shops do here and it seems to have cut the numbers going AWOL considerably. I don't use a trolley at Morrisons so I don't know.

Websailor

Many of our own shops have had the "buy them as you need them" bags. Enough cost to cover the recycling later. We've also paid about a quid for every (no first or second free) bag of trash at the curb for years. And if you need a cart at the shop, drop a coin in it ... and collect the coin when you properly return the cart.

In the end, recycling has been a very common part of life in this zone for about 2 decades. It's always difficult for folks to adapt when it finally reaches their corner of the globe. But in the end, it's no more than 10 or so minutes for me, every Thursday morning, to sort the plastics, glass, paper degrees ... Not at all much of a bother.

All a question of habit really, and proper collections and facilities. Unfortunately here they prefer the stick to the carrot, and are raking in the cash in fines for minor misdemeanours which simply antagonise people.

Websailor

Hi there !!!

Trust you are getting on fine.

What a coincidence !!! I was informed that even here, in Colombo, many supermarkets have started to charge for shopping bags.

I have marked my house in the h2g2 map. Actually, it is my parents house which I use as an office.

Shall post some photos of a recent safari we made to the jungles in the deep south of our country.

I am having a great time switching from one sports channel to another.

So, that's all for now, please write when permits.

Best Regards,
DS

hi
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now they will charge for the shopping bags, they are replacing the plastic one with.
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its a pound coin to use a trolley, but some wont bother if it gets the shopping to the house, they can force it out, and then dump the trolley in the park or a field, even on the pavement.
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you would think someone seeing a trolley in the street being taken, they would say something, but no-one cares.
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if asda does bagles, then its just other side of the cemetry, and no-one is about to say anything, , jim
jim

Hi Jim

I am always seeing supermarket trolleys being abandoned and in strange places and some as far as a mile away. I have even seen a Sainsbury trolley at Lakeside shopping centre and it is an hours walk away on a busy busy motorway.

When I used to do lots of shopping, I used to use shopping trolleys, I know they are old fashioned and have two wheels. I use my own permanent shopping bags but some supermarkets put your shopping in plastic bags even when you have your own bag.

With supermarkets having to make cuts, plastic bags will be one less item free item. It is rarely that I forget a shopping bag but I do reuse them and if not used I use them to put rubbish away.

I remember when free plastic bags came out people did not like having them as it was like free advertising for the supermarket.

Hi Jimcracker,

Hope you are well? I went into WHSmith's the other day, and they are now charging a penny for a bag which is encouraging customers to bring their own. They are giving a leaflet away with each plastic bag that you purchase to explain why they are doing this etc...

I have noticed that in Sainsbury's, you don't have to pay for plastic bags as yet, but they give you a penny back for every bag you bring which is a good idea .

Dumped trolleys - I know them very well. As I used to work in a shop, I had to walk for miles in the past to recover 'stolen' trolleys . I have had to climb into rivers, streams and even recover one off the side of the motorway once . It was good exercise though, but very annoying!

Nigel

hi all
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can you imagine three or four people, pushing there shopping home along the pavement.lol
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but it could happen, we know there are those that wouldnt think twice.
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the only way to protect the humble trolley is to do what the americans have dont in some places.
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a system that when the wheels reach a line around the store, the wheels lock, i saw it on a programe to other day, i think its walmart that as them.
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but depending on the price would the supermarkets here even give the idea first thought. if they want to keep the trolleys they do. jim

Jim, that sounds like a great idea. The first to try it here would be Asda then if they could be bothered. it would save canal and rivers getting blocked and people would soon get used to it.

Websailor

Hi Jim, Hi Webby,

Walmart is Asda over here, and our town now has the wheel lock trolleys.

As for the bags, all of our local hyper/supermarkets have their own bags for purchase. These are recyclable and, as each comes to the end of their usefulness a new bag is supplied free of charge.


lil xx

hi lil
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wilkinsons is selling a foldaway one, about £3 i think. so it wont be long till they get rid of their plastic ones.
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asda and morrisons, rely on the men that return the troleys to the bays here for now. but they might have to rethink on the lock type, more are turning up in the park and fields around here now
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, jim xxx

hi jim
it now cost 6p a bag
at the co-op and when i when
in curry's the other week
they don't have bag's anymore

I actually think its a good idea to get people to buy bags, but forget plastic ones go for the cotton ones that you can recycle again and again.

However, when it comes to room bins I do admit that I reuse the plastic bag for throwing away waste in them. So it won't work out there. I also think that reverting back to the days without free plastic bags wont be easy because of what we've got used to.

hi all, its easier.
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netto as in my area been making you pay 5p for theirs for a long while, they are strong, and thick, with proper handles as such.
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morrisons had a bag for nothing the other week, but after using once, it had a hole in it.
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whatever happened to the strong string ones, they where plastic last ones i saw, yrs ago ,dragon> jim

at tesco's there give you green point's
if you bring your own bag 1 point per bag