My local supermarket has signs displayed saying
“We no longer offer plastic bags for 2 items or less”.
A small thing, but it got on my nerves for some reason. What gives them the right to tell me when I should or should not get a bag?* It’s not like it would do any good to the environment to withhold it from me. I reuse plastic bags at home, and they are recyclable in any case!
I don’t know about you, but having such a small choice taken away from me makes me feel I’m being treated like a child.
* Aside from the fact that they’re paying for the bags, of course.**
** But then again, supermarket costs are factored in to the cost of the groceries, are they not?
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April 15, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Marjorie
I think it’s a good policy. I hate plastic bags and using them for only 2 items is wasteful! It is a lot of people all using that one plastic bag too many that makes the hazard to the environment worse! I would ask why you have the right really than why don’t you? Yes, they are to some degree recyclable but surely cutting down would be of benefit. I usually happily put those couple of things in my trolley…but then I have a trolley…otherwise I guess it does force people to buy the green bags that are usually at the checkout, but that is good if they look at the bigger picture!
April 15, 2008 at 10:21 pm
markk
Thanks for the comment Marjorie.
To my mind, the environmental benefit of restricting plastic bags are so negligible as to be non-existent. A better solution would involve biodegradable plastic bags, that decompose after a short period of time, so that any litter (which we all agree is bad) would not last long enough to cause harm to plants or animals. The technology for this is available already, and lacks the paternalistic mentality of measures such as the one described.
Although I must retract part of my post above; supermarkets have every right not to offer bags, just as I have the right to shop elsewhere if I don’t like it.
April 17, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Marjorie
Yes, I agree biodegradable bags are a good idea so we can come to a compromise. It’s not a dealbreaker! It’s pretty funny to notice you are still replying to me in really academic language as if our relationship is quite impersonal!
April 17, 2008 at 9:13 pm
markk
I don’t know, darling, I just don’t find plastic bag debates to be very romantic. Sorry about that =)
April 18, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Marjorie
That’s ok, I just thought you were trying to hide our relationship but clearly not, darling