plastic bags

We've had plastic bag charges for years in Wales-I thought the rest of the country had gone the same way?

Yes it has but that doesn't stop the unnecessary plastic packaging.

I am beginning to find it difficult to buy fruit and veg at a supermarket because as you say, everything is wrapped in plastic. I do not want 6 apples, I may only want one, everything is packaged for a family. I could not read about the whale it was too upsetting.

Individual stalks of brocolli wraped in cling film.
Why ??

I agree about the packaging, and don't really understand why the powers-that-be are slow in doing something about it.

Why can't packaging simply be made biodegradeable? Or of paper?

?gettingonabit

Cucumbers tightly wrapped in plastic....

Regarding unnecessary packaging. Bought DH two shirts yesterday. If I buy a blouse it comes on a hanger, but these shirts were
a - in plastic bags
b - they were then folded round a large piece of card
c - there was a piece of hard plastic under the collars
d - there was then a plastic clip holding the cuffs in place. All in my opinion totally unnecessary, and all of that packaging had to be thrown away. Why do they still do it??

Maybe if we ALL unwrapped things lke shirts in the store...would that make the store owners/manufacturers get the message? ?????

Our waste disposal system in East Cheshire can recycle all plastic packaging and mine goes straight into the recycling bin.

It baffles me why people put bananas in plastic bags in the supermarket. I feel tempted to ask them if they eat the skins but have never dared up to now!

I always weigh my bananas and stick the price label straight on one of them. I do the same with any other loose fruit and veg I buy.

???

Yes so sad, we can do our bit by reusing bags and recycling responsibly but it's the manufacturers and supermarkets, fast food and coffee shops who should be doing more.

I think supermarket shopping is what has increased plastic wrapping and bagging. It increases speed of picking and checking out. Think about the old days of greengrocers where things were hand picked and put in paper bags (which aren't a problem because paper composts easily). It's great but it takes time.

Banana skins are edible. Just saying. I buy bananas loose.

Broccoli florets are break easily. I think that's why some distributors wrap (what my father called a "broccoli forest") in cling wrap. I'm not excusing, just offering an explanation.

Don't eat much cucumber but maybe plastic covering is for similar protection of the skin.

I haven't found it impossible to buy loose vegetables and fruit. Co-op and Waitrose have bagged and loose. Maybe those of you who have found it impossible need to try a different supermarket/shop?

Re women's blouses re men's shirts: blouses vary a great deal in style so people want to see them. Shirts are pretty standard in design so you still know what you're getting even when they're packeted. Again, just saying. All this stuff people are objecting to is not completely irrational behaviour even if we think it undesirable or unnecessary.

are

I was just reading our local news and it appears that here supermarkets are obliged to take back used plastic packaging.
The Environment Minister has started a campaign to get people to return it to the shops where it was bought.
The Flemish are big on re-cycling so it will be interesting to see how it goes.

With all the different coloured bins, boxes and bags that Councils are giving out these days, rubbish should be recycled or incinerated responsibly, who on earth dumps plastic bags in the sea ?
Didn't read the article, but that's appalling!

I like that idea, felice.

I was just thinking that something else one could do if one felt strongly enough about it would be to unwrap your overwrapped stuff and leave the plastic at the supermarket.

I live just across a track from the beach in a beautiful part of South West Scotland and walk my dog there. It is hard to believe the amount of plastic that comes in with the the tide,milk containers are the worst offenders. Most of us who use the beach regularly pick up the offending articles and put them in the bin. After a strong wind the bushes were 'decorated' with plastic bags. Where does it all come from? I can't believe there are so many people who would deliberately put their waste in the sea.

It was awful to see how many plastic bags were recovered from the stomach of a dead beached whale recently. I always take my bags with me and have being doing this long before the imposed charge was implemented. We buy bags for life so when they become torn we exchange them at the supermarket. Yes I agree Kitty Lester, I don't bag my loose bananas or broccoli, or carrots, parsnips or leeks Tomatoes I do though, if they aren't pre packaged.

We had a couple of Tesco deliveries when we were both struggling with The Cough. I ticked the box that said 'No Bags' but still had many items delivered in pinky coloured plastic bags - especially bottles of wine which were individually wrapped!!

When I pointed this out to the delivery man he said, 'Oh those aren't our real bags. We always use those for deliveries. You haven't been charged.'

'But I don't want any plastic bags,' said I.

'Just give them back to me then and we'll get rid of them for you'

There is still a lot of plastic packaging labelled "cannot be recycled" - why can't manufacturers get their acts together to at least make all this packaging recyclable? Cost, I suppose.

One of the problems is the growth in packaging companies, money to be made and those places will be reluctant to stop production. I accept the reasons supermarkets cling wrap stuff in order to protect them from damage as they're thrown about in trucks and by staff.
But - I absolutely agree, we should not use plastic. It's killing animals and sea life, it isn't biodegradable and I begin to feel it will suffocate us all.
Revert to paper and cardboard would be a start.
I try no to buy fresh veg or fruit that is prepacked and from now, will return any packaging to the supermarket as suggested above. If we all did that, I bet the supermarkets would soon pressurise their suppliers