In the UK is anyone else sick of this?

Question

I am sick of finding the fruit and veges I want wrapped in plastic on plastic trays.I have no vege shop /farmers market here.often the loose stuff is dearer than the plasticated stuff.UK shoppers take 13 bn plastic bags a week yet our ASDA never offers anyone a bag for life just gives them 1 bag for each 5 items.Australia have put a moratorium on P bags till end 2008..YAY

Answer 1

Try looking for a local box scheme, unwrapped veg delivered to your door/work in a re-used crate.

See if you have a local permaculture group, http://permaculture.org.uk/

or check big barn, http://www.bigbarn.co.uk/

Set up a local food co-op - we set one up to get wholesale seasonal veg from local farmer & market stall, then take to community hall, split it up into £2.50 (reused) bags for each person to collect  and pay for next weeks in advance

If you can't find an alternative take your own bag/box into ASDA and unwrap all the goods at the checkout.

Answer 2

I'm sick of being told how good organic food is for the environment only to find organic lettuce that's been ship from Morocco. How is that better for the environment?

I'm sick of being told paper bags are better for the environment. Paper bags take more room to transport so any environmental benefits are offset by transporting them.

I'm sick of being told that the vegiterian diet is better for you. Without additional suppliments you get very ill on it. Vitamin A, Iron in plants needs Vit C to be absorbed correctly (not require with haem iron found in meat), etc.

I'm sick of being told that CFL are better for the enviroment when they contain mercury that is costly to recycle.

I'm sick of a lot of thing that are said or done without looking at the whole picture but that seems to be the way thing are done when it comes to enviromental issues.

Answer 3

I would agree with the previous post of removing unnecessary packaging in the store - Ask customer services where they want you to stuff it.

This not only applies to fruit, but consumer goods too.

With the UK clamping down on bin collections, It seems only common sense to push the producers to reduce it too.

Answer 4

A plastic bag levy was placed on bags in Ireland a few years ago, and I think this has really helped our environment.  Before this levy, plastic bags scoured our countryside, getting caught in trees and hedge growth.  Today most of Ireland's countryside is relatively free from plastic bags, that's not saying people do not use them anymore but I think we are more aware of the consequences, and lets face it, who wants to pay 20cent for a plastic bag!  You pay if it you don't have any other choice, but nearly all stores stock bags for life for 30cent or the larger more durable bags for 1 euro.

It is evident in the larger Irish stores that Irish people tend to re-use their bags for life, which means that the levy is working.