This may seem like a bit of a random post but I felt from personal experience of working in retail it is something that was an everyday occurrence. Especially with having earth day this month it is a reminder of how little steps can be done to better the environment.
When the government followed in Scotland’s steps of charging 5p for a plastic carrier bag in big retailers for everything the amount of outrage it caused is ridiculous. You might laugh at ‘outrage’ but trust me I’ve heard people say it’s ‘disgusting, a con and that the companies should be ashamed of themselves’
People who object use the go to of people should provide paper bags simply because they’re free.
However a paper bag actually doubles the ecological footprint of making a plastic bag therefore defeats the point of being environmentally friendly; and if you’ve spent £145 on a cashmere jumper you wouldn’t be too impressed with your free paper carrier bag when it rains and falls apart. Plus some companies have made the decision to donate the 5p to charity, making it a win-win situation.
I personally think it’s a great thing as it’s made me realise how much I don’t need a carrier bag. They’re are plenty of times I would just say yes just for the sake of it where as now I take reusable bags but I am more than happy to.
Since the law was introduced the sale of plastic carrier bags has gone down by 85% as reported by the guardian in July 2016, only 9 months after it was first introduced.
Don’t get me wrong I will buy a bag if I don’t have one but it’s a lot less often than before the law. The fact people complain about this really makes you think, while you never know what anyone is going through it must be nice to only have that to complain and worry about.
When you see how much of an impact it has had on the environment over the years, being stuck in trees, polluting the sea etc.
It’s great to see a small change in people’s everyday lives is changing into a positive impact on the environment then it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
Link to the guardian article: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/30/england-plastic-bag-usage-drops-85-per-cent-since-5p-charged-introduced
Photo credits: © Laura Merritt, 2017. (Own photo)
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