What’s all this about? The environment, that's what?
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Join the push to reduce dramatically the number of single-use plastic bags. Why?
They are so convenient when I go shopping.
Maybe, but what happens to them when you get home? If you are environmentally friendly you keep them and put them in the bin provided at supermarkets (where they probably go to be recycled into more single-use plastic bags!).
If you are not all that concerned about the environment, you probably just chuck them in the garbage, after which they may well end up strangling ibis, silver gulls and other birds which frequent the tip and use it as a takeaway restaurant.
Just as bad, they may end up in our waterways where they will choke fish and other aquatic creatures.
In simple terms, single use plastic bags are bad news. So then, what is the solution?
They found a solution in England, where parliament passed a law that all major stores have to charge 5P for every plastic bag they issue to shoppers.
Shoppers didn’t take long to realise that if they took their own bags when they went to the shops it would save them money – not much, admittedly- but every little helps.
As a result there has been a dramatic reduction in the use of plastic bags, and this has pleased lots of people – not only the environmentalists, but the shoppers and the shop owners, for whom single use plastic bags represent quite a financial outlay.
ECCO has suggested to the state government that the English system has much to recommend it – but so far we have received no response.
Some shops, however have used their initiative to produce an alternative method.
One large local fruit and vegetable retailer now display at the checkout large paper bag which sell for 99c – a great idea. Other retailers and supermarkets have their bags for sale but are not displaying them.
So – next time you go shopping, take your own bags and if you forget – we are all human – ask at the check out if the store has large paper bags for sale.