Say "No" to plastic bags
14 September 2007
The Action 21 Recycle Warehouse doesn’t just recycle all sorts of household goods. We also recycle plastic carrier bags by saving the ones that people bring in to us and giving them out to customers who need them.
The huge quantity of unwanted plastic bags generated in the UK pollute the environment as litter, and they are notoriously dangerous for wildlife when they find their way into rivers seas and rubbish dumps. Re-using bags is always going to be better than just throwing them away, but even a ‘bag for life’ is unlikely to last that long. It would be much better if there were fewer bags around in the first place – so how can you avoid collecting so many?
All you need to do is to make sure that you have a spare bag folded up in your coat pocket when you go out and you won’t need to take a new one when you buy something. You need be on the ball and remember to say ‘I don’t need a bag thanks’ when you come to pay, otherwise most shop assistants will give you one before you’ve had time to think. If you think that one or two plastic bags won’t be enough, you just need to take a rucksack, cloth bag or both to the shops with you.
This might seem like a bit of effort, but its worth it. Although they don’t take up much space in the bin, all those bags add up to a big problem - about 8 billion plastic bags are handed out in the UK each year, which is over 134 per person. The total waste polyethylene is in the order of 800,000 tonnes per year, and this takes hundreds of years to degrade. Also the manufacture of the plastic bags consumes a significant amount of energy. All in all, we really need to reduce the number that we use.
So we’re always happy to give our customers recycled bags at the Recycle Warehouse, but we’d be even happier if they brought their own with them!
Sadly this will be my last green column for the Courier. I’ve really enjoyed writing it, but even more I’ve enjoyed the discussions and feedback which it has generated from readers. Thanks for all your support and look out for Matthew Cox, who will be taking over this column in two weeks time.