Do you love or hate plastic bags?

With so many ways to reuse plastic bags it is not always easy to dismiss their use completely. However, we do need to consider their impact on the environment and exactly how many we do actually use.

Bags for Life

With many supermarkets and shops now providing bags for life, they really do make a difference. Once you have got into the habit of remembering them (which is my problem) they are so much better than plastic bags. I have found that they stand on the checkouts easier, can hold more than an average plastic bag and are easier to carry with the more comfortable handles.

However, I think that some of the shops need to train their staff to not look surprised and sometimes annoyed when you say no thank you to using a plastic bag. We are only trying to reduce the amount being used!

What are plastic bags

Most Plastic bags are made from polyethylene – more commonly known as polythene, which is made from crude oil and natural gas, non-renewable resources.

In 2001 there was 1,678,900 tonnes of plastic packaging in the waste stream, an increase from 1,600,000 in 2000. Research conducted in September 2000 indicated that UK consumers used eight billion plastic carrier bags per year.

The Government is taking action to support the reduction of plastic packaging in the waste stream, re-use of bags and recycling of plastics more generally.

To read more about what the Government is doing about plastic bags.

Great Moments in Plastic Bag History

• 1957 The first baggies and sandwich bags on a roll are introduced.
• 1958 Poly dry cleaning bags compete with traditional brown paper.
• 1966 Plastic bag use in bread packaging takes over 25 to 30 percent of the market.
• 1966 Plastic produce bags on a roll are introduced in grocery stores.
• 1969 The New York City Sanitation Department's "New York City Experiment" demonstrates that plastic refuse bag kerbside pickup is cleaner, safer and quieter than metal trash can pick-up, beginning a shift to plastic can liners among consumers.
• 1974/75 Retailing giants make the switch to plastic merchandise bags.
• 1973 The first commercial system for manufacturing plastic grocery bags becomes operational
• 1977 The plastic grocery bag is introduced to the supermarket industry as an alternative to paper sacks.
• 1982 Kroger and Safeway start to replace traditional craft sacks with polyethylene "t-shirt" bags.
• 1990 The first blue bag recycling program begins with kerbside collection.
• 1990 Consumer plastic bag recycling begins through a supermarket collection-site network.
• 1992 Nearly half of U.S. supermarkets have recycling available for plastic bags.
• 1996 Four of five grocery bags used are plastic.

Reference: "Film & Plastic Bag Federation"

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