How do you feel about Plastic Bags?

Question

Just wanted to know what people thought of plastic bags now, while the world is completely environmentally conscious. Do you still feel fine about receiving a plastic bag from a retailer after buying an item, or would you rather have your item handed to you in a recyclable bag?

Answer 1

I have no problem with them, as long as people don't litter with them. If they were all recycled or disposed of correctly in the trash, then they would not be a danger to wild life.

Answer 2

I prefer re-cyclable bags; I also re use plastic bags and place surplus plastic bags in the boxes both Waitrose and Sainsbury's provide fore their re-cycling.

Answer 3

take them or  leave them.

Answer 4

i think someone invented them and someone makes them..if the had not invented and did not make..then the prob would be solved...stop at source

Answer 5

Personally, I am not keen on plastic bags. Whenever I can, I take a proper shopping bag with me, although I use them occasionally. I am not an enviroment-freak, but when I saw a couple getting out of a taxi with 11 plasic bags, and none was very full, I thought those people totally irresponsible.

Answer 6

I would prefer it banned as it is creating h**l a lot of nuisance in every household.

I myself am environment conscious and bought a shopping bag in IKEA to save on tons of bags that were lying in my cupboard picked from the grocey stores.

Or might might have to switch to the new corn based bags which are extremely environmentally friendly. They decompose in 45 days whereas the plastic bags will remain in landfills for over 2000 years.

think about it when you visit your grocery store next time.

Answer 7

Both will be good, but you have to use it in the wright way

Answer 8

Take a tip from the wily Irish. They introduced a law which forces a government levy of 15c on every plastic bag purchased from a retailer.

In the beginning people were so subconsciously dependant on the plastic bag that they paid the levy, then they got tired of it and started bringing their own bags to shops. Now, if they buy something and have no bag...they carry it home in their hands.

It has now become part of the social psyche to be mindful of plastic bags. They now, rarely, if ever, request one and instead bring funky cotton bags shopping.

Interestingly, it started a chain reaction of green thinking within the country. Now people are BIG into recycling and the effects of waste on the community.

You get pretty tired of paper carrier bags too once you have to separate it from other rubbish and recylce it properly.

Bottom line, don't wait for retailers to come up with the green solution, it's better for you in the long run to come up with your own ideas.

Answer 9

Hate them!  I recycle every one, or use boxes. I think the world could easily live without them, I would rather have paper. If they are not recyclable I think the consumer should be informed.

Answer 10

recycled ones, or ban them totally and use recycled paper ones.

Answer 11

They have a million uses and I think they will be sadly missed if they are banned outright. unfortunately, the consumer is irresponsible, so draconion measures will automatically be brought in, and as usual, the majority have to suffer due to a minority that cannot despose of poly bags correctly. I would still make bags, but make them bio-degradable that rapidly breakdown after being used once! I remember though that unused boxes used to be put at the front of stores were very usefull for carry shopping home or to the car. Strong paper bags will have to be brought in instead.

Answer 12

what annoys me is when people want a bag for one or two things! its like o my god you have two hands for crist sake!! i dont mind people using plastic bags but when the world is getting more environmentally concious you just think for god sake people use you common sense!!

Answer 13

I would rather have a recycled bag but failing that I reuse the plastic bag I was given in the first place. I have got to admit that I would use a carrier bag made from some sort of material which could be used for years if it were not for the stigma of men using shopping bags. Thanks to Roy Cropper using one in Coronation Street and being married to a woman who used to be a man the image is transfered to a man who uses a shoppin bag.

Answer 14

make people pay for them is a good idea like Lidl do.  i hate shops that give you one even if you say you have your own bag.

Answer 15

Plastic bags,  otherwise known as Witches Knickers are a major cause of landfill problems here in UK.  Putting a cash price on the purchase of these plastic bags at the sumermarket will not stop their use.  They way to rid us of them is to ban them completely by law.

Back in my childhood and youth of the 1940s and 1950s there simply were no plastic bags.  People went shopping carrying their own shopping bag or basket.  Otherwise purchases might wrapped in brown paper or slipped into a brown paper bag.

We've got to get back to using our own shopping bags.

I've found a market stall which sells big bags for reuse dozens of times for only a couple of quid.  I'm off down there on Monday and from then on all our stuff from the supermarket goes in these reuseable bags.

Strange, the Americans just do not use plastic bags to carry their shopping in - paper bags usually.

Answer 16

,Carry your own paper bags ,or.use bags made from cloth, like in INDIA, When ever i buy goods i will never take a plastic bag, unless realy necessary too many goods to carry.

Answer 17

They are lightweight, leak-proof, and handy.  I think they should be used everywhere.

Answer 18

Very rarely accept a bag. But if i need to, i turn it inside out so as not to do their advertising for them.

Answer 19

I hate it when people have one bag for each individual item they buy. It's like they want to create waste. Use a bag for more than one item for god's sake!

Answer 20

Brown paper would be good, like Americans have their groceries. Perfect.

Answer 21

I think they are great.  I use them to put my trash and garbage in before I throw it in the bin.

Answer 22

I am certainly worried about the number of plastic bags that are issued by shops.  But I am also worried about the number of bags of other sorts handed out.

Plastic bags are a particular worry because most of them take many years to degrade and in the meantime they are a wildlife hazard and an eyesore.  But all shopping bags (even paper ones) are generally a waste of resources.

The solution to the waste and pollution problems caused by shopping bags is to take your own bag to collect the shopping.  A plastic bag re-used in this way is far preferable to a new paper bag given to you with the shopping.  When the plastic bag gets worn out, that is the time to recycle it and replace it with another discarded bag.

When you run out of discarded plastic bags do not pick up another with your shopping but instead take a proper shopping bag to the shops; one that is strong enough for several years of use.

As well as avoiding plastic bags we need to avoid packaging generally.  It is often unnecessary and wastes resources such as fossil fuels, which are running out and have more vital uses.  It also creates a disposal problem (scarce landfill or polluting incineration).

Best wishes for 2008.  Let's make it the year in which pointless packaging and plastic bags get the elbow.

Answer 23

they are ok but tesco are selling straw shopping bags for £1.00. i love them they hold quite a bit they have been recycled we bought 4 of these and you could use them  for the beach in the summer.

Answer 24

Cant stand plastic bags,,, i think shops should get rid of them and sell the reusable bags (the nice strong ones) or do what Lidl do, if you don't get yourself a box or bring your own bag you have to pay for a plastic bag, i mean how many people would want to pay an extra 15-20 or 25p (or whatever your  currency is) for a bag that gets holes in it as soon as it gets too heavy?!

When you look around outside to there is always a plastic bag flapping about somewhere in the bushes or trees, think of the poor animals that could get caught up in one of these bags. So yeah i dont like plastic bags. :o)

Answer 25

It doesn't concern me from the point of view of harming the environment.  They are not toxic to the environment.  They are mostly just a nuisance to dispose of.  It would be better if more people used reusable bags for that reason.  Recycling doesn't really matter enough to justify the fuss.  Toxic chemicals found in much of our waste is much more of a concern than plastic bags.