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

In this day and age many of us, with a few notable exceptions, are more environmentally conscious. Yet how many of us while doing our Christmas shopping pick up a new plastic bag for every item that is bought. I see it on the bus most evenings and most worryingly I saw it within my environmentally conscious family at the weekend. We were heavy laden with bags after an afternoon shopping for Christmas.

Now considering that must of the time I carry my stuff to work in a jute bag, turn down receiving extra plastic bags for my papers in the morning or for snacks I may get while out and about; I got to thinking. Why don’t more of us return to doing our Christmas shopping with string bags. Taking a rucksack around the shops these days gets the attention of security guards, but that was how I used to do my grocery shopping.

As long as you keep all the receipts for the goods you have purchased you do not need to carry them around the store branded plastic bag that is only going to add to the worlds land fill sites. Any security guard worth their salt will be able to check these for you to ensure you have not been shoplifting by comparing the receipts with the products. Paper at least is biodegradable. And a little time lost for these checks is surely worth the little effort for saving the planet so for the next few weeks when you go out for your last minute shopping think about how you are carrying these goods around with you.

DD

Wow talk about lead balloons.

I was waiting for someone else to post!

I don't like string bags as small things fall out. But I do use reusable bags when I go shopping. I sometimes get bags if I buy things when I'm not expecting to, but they are handy for clearing away mess, so they don't just build up. There's not much else I can use to carry dog poop if I'm on a long walk.

I know you do Mina, I've helped carry them for you remember.

Jute is an alternative, as are bags for life. IKEA are now chargign for their pastic bags which encourage people to purchase their reusable bags.

I agree with you regarding cleaning up dog mess though. They are very handy for that.

We take our bags down to Tesco who recycle them

Good idea. However, I think there should be a shift away from using flimsy plastic as the means in which we are automatically given for every purchase unless we but in and say no thanks.

My mum uses holdalls for her shopping to cut down on plastic bags but always carries spare ones, just in case

I don't mind using plastic bags because there are recycling facilities available, although the less you use the less manufacturing of new ones is needed

I'm probably less environmentally friendly when it comes to plastic bags - naturally I reuse them but they tend to become liners for my various bins, so they do eventually end up in landheaps. I suppose it *does* save on special bin liners, though ...