This is one of those 'everyone said it was going to happen, and now it is' stories.
For as long as I can remember, we've been encourage to reuse plastic bags for shopping. Some of the big supermarkets, like M&S, then started to sell re-usable, durable bags to encourage this kind of low-level recycling and make a bit of money on the side (which is probably the best way for big business to approach recyling).
Now, Ikea are going to charge for plastic bags. It seems like that are a lot of green initiatives like this popping up over the UK now. We've all known that plastic carrier bags are pretty nasty things, now it's nice to see companies giving shoppers an inventive to recycle.
Having said all that, though, I do miss those big, square, brown paper Ikea bags. They made the best cat toys, after all.
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I've just come back from Ireland where plastic bags are taxed leading to a reduction in usage and a cleaner enviroment-I think I spotted one in a hedge compared to the plastic confetti I see stuck in hedges and rivers in South Wales! By the way, does anyone know where I can get a string bag from? I've scoured all the 'nana' shops to no avail!
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Found some...
try here (for a general site)
http://www.shopeezee.co.uk/all_handbag_products...
or...
for a more "green thinking" one, what about WWF...
http://shop.wwf.org.uk/store/Detail.aspx?pid=12...
(I think I prefer the idea of this one!)
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Nice one Jane! Will definitely go for the WWF one as the cheapest and most reminiscent of the type of bag my Gran would carry in her capacious handbag. BTW, I know the WI are campaigning for less packaging in supermarkets, but why are n't staff encouraged to ask if you need a bag (like the Body Shop do) rather than automatically reaching for a plastic carrier, even if you've purchased something as minute as a thimble!
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I'd love it if people didn't automatically give you bags for everything. My local health food shop have stopped asking me, which is great - they've realised that I never want them, but the supermarkets .... well, they are better than they used to be, but I do find it hard persuading assistants that I don't want them to put each yogurt in a separate bag in case they break, and no, I don't want a bag for the carrots / apples or whatever I've purposely chosen OUT of a bag.... I just don't want them. I always carry a rucksack, normally with a spare bag in it, and often have the pushchair so I don't need another carrier bag to go in the drawer at home.
If you read the discussion on Ikea charging for plastic bags, you'll see that a lot of us think this is a positive move as it will make people think twice about taking bags.
http://ecolocal.co.uk/uk/home_life/show/ikea_to...
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Forgot to say that here in the US although they don't charge, which i think they should!), you can bring your bags back to be recycled--but i really doebt anyone does that very often.
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