We believe we can make Suffolk a plastic bag free county by 2010.
In the UK an estimated 17 billion plasitc bags are given away each year, most end up on our streets as litter or in landfill where they can take up to 400 years to decompose. We’re encouraging people to replace plastic bags with reusable bags made from natural fabrics.
Add your name in the comments section to make your New Year resolution to kick the plastic bag habit in 2008.
To add your name/comment – simply click on the title of this post above (‘Kick the Habit in 2008′) and you will see a comment section appear at the bottom of the page. If you have any problems, please feel free to email us: kickthehabit2008@googlemail.com
I will kick the ‘Plastic Bag habit’ in 2008
I’ll kick the habit!
I’ll kick the habit in 2008 and encourage others to as well
I will do my best to resist taking any more plastic bags home with me and reuse those I do have until they collapse!
I WILL stop shop staff giving me plastic bags and they WILL listern to me!
I will!
I will also kick the habit.
I’ll make the pledge!
What a great idea – I already use as few bags as possible so am happy to make the pledge.
I’ll pass this on to Cambs County Council colleagues.
I have about 12 reusable bags and try to use them as often as possible.
I have been reusing plastic bags at the supermarket for about 3 years. This weekend the farm shop offered me one and when I said No Thanks they said they thought it was best to ask so the customer had the choice – at least they now seem aware of the issue.
We always use reusable bags but take a few disposable bio-degradable ones occasionally to wrap the kitchen waste.
We have been using hessian bags for a while now and any plastic ones we have are reused to destruction. I hope many more shopkeepers will see the benefit of advertising on hessian bags in 2008 and follow the example of our local farm shop.
I am in a difficult position but my final answer is yes I pledge to use less bags. In fact I have not used a carrier bag from a supermarket in around 8 months!
But my difficult position comes from working for a paper and polythene wholesaler who sell both paper and polythene bags.
We would all like to see less bags thrown away into land fill sites or discarded into the hedges but unfortunately I can not see an end to the polythene bag. The problem that so many traders will face is the costs involved in switching to alternative materials.
As Trevor points out the hessian (Jute) bags are some of the best around for being able to be re-used but can every one afford to give these bags away? The convenience store on Market Hill will not be handing out re-usable shoppers to the builders that pop in for a paper, three bags of crisps and a six pack for later.
The big discussion is the switch to paper, which personally I find a bit of a double edged sword. Whilst paper is by far the greener material to be seen with, if you weigh up the processes behind the paper bag you will be surprised that it is in fact more harmful to the environment than a polythene counterpart.
I personally think that a lot more time needs to be spent on researching alternative products such as corn starch carrier bags, or at least educating people to the truths of the matter.
I’m sorry, I like plastic bags, easy, convenient and they double up as bin liners I would otherwise have to buy.
Adam is right, all the theory in the world is great, but give us a viable, cost effective alternative.
Also, if you consider the current levels of crime in this country, unemployment up because we are awash with immigrants, our soldiers in Afganistan and Iraq getting killed and maimed in a war which is futile….
well, plastic bags!…. bottom of the list.
Sorry everyone… but it had to be said.
Steve that’s a real cop out. There will always be other big issues but here’s something you can personally take action on. You can still use your bags as bin liners AND reduce your use. Plastic bags litter the countryside and cause damage to wildlife and farm animals as well as polluting water courses. A levy on plastic bags in Ireland has reduced plastic bag litter by 95%.
@Steve, I do agree with your comments and can only second your thoughts on the bigger picture. But like said least I can make a stand on this issue, I just wish there was a solid solution.
@Kathy, yes we can all make a difference and that is some thing we should all care about but I don’t feel a knee jerk reaction to banning bags is the right move.
Yes Ireland introduced a carrier bag tax, which did as you say reduce the amount of litter but it has not reduced the usage of polythene; in fact it has increased it!
To which takes me back to the case of why ban the bag?
Your comments are based around litter which is very valid in this day and age. But surely littering is not something a bag can do, it is the end user that discards the bag in the wrong manor.
By logic banning the carrier bag will reduce the litter but you are not solving the problem just removing an element from the equation, which then puts strain on the small business to find an alternative packaging solution.
Now if we can educate the end user, provide facilities to recycle bag (and other household waste for that matter) we can tackle the problem at source, maintaining the environment and keeping the shop keeper in business.
I’ve kicked the habit and realised that plastic bags are only the icing on the cake. The next step is to look at the stuff that goes into the bags, (e.g. excessive packaging) as well reduce the rubbish that goes to landfill.
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation
Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Balustraded.