Earlier in my blog, week 1 to be precise, I set up a recycling system for my plastic bags. Well, 2 months later I am surprised at just how many plastic bags I get given/go through, some of which I throw away (like the ones used to hold meat that are just too dirty to even try to clean). I will continue to recycle what I can but I would like to reduce the number that come into my house in the first instance. This is a two part challenge, part 1, which I will tackle this week, is to reduce shopping bags. Part 2 (next week’s challenge) are food plastic bags from products like bread, fruit & veg and meat.
I get really frustrated when I go shopping and the shopping assistant automatically puts my goods into a plastic bag without asking if I want one. Now I am not talking about supermarket shopping as I usually put my green bags up on the conveyor belt first before I unpack my trolley. I’m talking about newsagents and fruit and veg shops and department stores and shoe stores and….you get my drift. Quite often I have a green bag in visible sight but they are running on auto-pilot and just put my purchase straight into a plastic bag.
So this week’s challenge is to say no and give the bag back! Or even better, state up front I have a bag already for my purchase. Now I know this sounds simple but I have been trying to do it from the start of this week and shop assistants are quick and before you know it they are trying to hand me my purchase and move on to the next customer. When I have said “No thanks I don’t need a bag” they take it back and throw it over to the side. Will it get reused? Or end up in their rubbish bin?
What if I don’t have a bag on me? I here you say. After all, we all like to do a bit of impulse shopping now and again! Well if you really need a bag , I have a friend who has this cute little material bag that folds up into nothing and fits into a little pouch. She keeps this inside her handbag for those emergency shops. I have looked around locally and not been able to find one (I think she got hers in Japan) but I have folded up a thicker plastic shopping bag (like the ones you get from department stores) and popped that in my handbag. It doesn’t take up much room especially once all the air has escaped. I will keep my eyes open for a material one to replace the plastic one when it eventually dies.
My goal is to never have to accept a shopping bag from a sales assistant again. “Never” maybe a little optimistic but I’ll try my best 
