Plastic Bags

[lily]

So, by dint of carrot + stick we're all going to use far fewer. All well and good, but please could the supermarkets tackle the ever increasing problem of their packaging? Swede, bananas, cooking apples etc do not need more coats than the one they grow in, but no we must have not only cling film but also a little polystyrene tray as well. I read that that is how we consumers want things- well actually Morrisons ( my local worst offender) we don't!
Sorry, have just seen this on another thread. Just look on this post as a senior rant.

[Crocus]

Hi Lily, I always wonder why on earth does certain veg are wrapped in cling film AND put in a polystyrene container. ALso they don't use just enough cling film, it's got to be a LARGE piece of cling for just a small green pepper.

Fortunately at our veggie shop the veggies are packed in these commercial fridges, and you can take the correct amount you need. Fruit that need refrigeration are packed in containers in the fridges, also convenient for to take what you need.

[sunflower]

I agree Lilly, I often feel like taking off the wrappers after buying the veg and dumping the packaging in their dustbins but never have the time......though one day I will! More room in my dustbin then

[missdipple]

I totally agree with you Lilly. I'm pleased M&S are finally charging for their carriers, but then EVERYTHING in their food dept is covered in some kind of packaging. Sainsburys are a little better with some of their packaging which is compostable, but surely, wouldn't it be better to make ALL packaging compostable? And not just on the organic lines. My Mum finds shopping with me quite stressful, since I'm always pointing out this stuff and complaining!

[littlemiss]

on virgin trains they were actually selling oranges in hard clear plastic packets with the virgin label printed on it and a description of the contents... ORANGE..... , so unnecessary and pointless and insulting to ones intelligence!

[missdipple]

What a joke. Really, how much does the packaging cost? I would have thought it would be more economical to sell oranges without packaging. Problem is so many people have really lost contact with nature and perceive things not in plastic as being unhygenic.

[Clunkshift]

Why is it assumed that wrapping things in plastic is a good idea?
It is now accepted that plastic water bottles shouldn't be re-used because the plastic degrades and contaminates the water, so what of all the other liquids and solids packed in plastic - just what are we ingesting?

Simplisticly, if you can detect that something gives off a smell then it is obviously reacting with the surrounding air, so how can plastic be safe?

[franbee]

Boots the Chemist are working towards reducing plastic bags by trying to get people to reuse bags in some way. They have stopped supplying the very small bags, ask customers if they really need a bag, encourage the purchase of their cloth bag, and be supportive to customers who bring in other store's bags.

Just a quick poll from you all, please. I have made some cloth shopping bags to sell at our Church Fair on Sat. How much would you pay for one? 20p, 30p, 50p? or other?

[franbee]

Can I just ask for a quick poll on what you would spend on a cloth shopping bag at a Church Fair? 20p, 50p, more?

[keepersdaughter]

I spent the equivalent of about 1.50 on some string bags, like the old fashioned kind.
Cloth kind I would be prepared to pay more, though I'm not sure just how things are priced at Church fairs lately.

[buecherwurm]

Hi franbee, I couldn't tell you how much I'd spend on a cloth shopping bag as I make my own. But I think 50 p is too little. How much do they charge in the supermarkets? Take that price and a bit extra. If people won't buy it at that price you can always go lower.

[annie fenbug]

Couldn't agree more, Lily, about excessive packaging, although some supermarkets are worse than others (yes, M&S, I'm looking at you). My pet hate is with cosmetics but I know a bit more about food packaging as part of my job is dealing with consumer letters for a veg firm. I'd say in our case the packaging is usually there for a reason. Not just to protect against bruising etc, but to stop dehydration, for instance, but also to present the items in a pre-weighed bag that is quicker for shoppers to pick up. Manufacturers would happily use less if they could because it's a huge cost and storage issue.

I'm a bit sceptical about some 'bio-degradable' or 'compostable' packaging because I've seen the small print and some of them only break down under specific conditions, but they're a move in the right direction. However, they're 3-5 times more expensive than conventional plastics, one reason being the basic material is made on the Continent and has to be shipped into the UK. You're not allowed to buy a bit of a roll so there's a vast minimum order which puts them out of the reach of smaller packers. Not sure what will happen now we've got a weak pound against the Euro, either, but the market for them is growing so we will get more sensible prices and wider availability. Hopefully this will also apply to things like recyclable punnets etc, which are also pretty expensive at the moment.

Even when we do try a really green, eco-friendly format it can backfire - we once tried a recycled cardboard box, which was great until it got to the shop shelves. Because people couldn't see the contents, they opened the boxes - and then picked up an unopened one to buy. The next shopper along, of course, wasn't going to buy an opened item, and it might have been open for some time, so they'd open another box - and then buy a sealed one. We broke all records for shop wastage figures so that one had to go back to the drawing board!

[Sarahc]

I'm currently studying 'enterprise and the environment' with OU and one of the case studies was about Sainsburys packaging. It was slightly dated but made a good point. Sainsburys looked at their drinks bottles and discovered that just by changing the dimensions they could be packed more efficiently and saved mega money of fuel and transportation costs. As you say packaging does a job but we should be looking to minimise it, but not to the extent of losing its purpose.