plastic bags

[ganstey]

I use them instead of bin liners. If I didn't use carrier bags, which degrade fairly quickly these days, I'd have to buy bin liners which won't hang on the hook in the kitchen (no room for a bin) and probably have a half life on 10,000 years. Oh, and just so you know, over the course of 3 months, I averaged 1.5 carrier bags worth (counted) per week for all household waste going to landfill.

Just watched a report on this topic on Channel 5 news. They admitted that since the tax came in in Ireland, although the number of carrier bags in use had declined by 90%, the number of bin liners and tough plastic bags had gone up dramatically.

Graham

 

[AuldJum]

Most of the time I use re-usable heavy cloth bags (50 cents each on base or $1 off base) Only problem with the backpack idea is I cain't afford 6-8 backpacks to hold my shopping ($50 or more each)

For recycling the plastic bags the obvious comes to mind as has been mentioned; re-use to carry things. Also they are the perfect size for bathroom garbage bin liners.

Any excess gets put into the recycle bin for professional recycling.

When my boys still lived with me and the ex wife i used carry a weeks food in a 100 litre pack.

Come to think of it i don't think i've ever had any need for plastic bags because there are no bins in my house, if something needs binned it go's in the wheelie outside.

 

[Stew]

6p a shot is a fair whack! For composting, I stopped using the plastic caddy - swapped to using old cereal boxes as could just dump the lot together when full.

Going a bit off topic I was suprised in Wales to find the cooperative had launched a plastic bag which can be used in a composting caddy. I came I saw I blogged http://www.waark.com/2011/09/913/

They've just started to seep down to south Essex now, but cost 6p. I don't mind having them because they fit perfectly in a caddy.

Downside? only a couple: they feel a little weaker and have no holes in the bottom for obvious reasons, but I thought this was to stop suffocating children?

 

[santaman2000]

When my boys still lived with me and the ex wife i used carry a weeks food in a 100 litre pack...

I use more than double that alone. When you add my daughter, her 10 year old son, and newborn (plus diapers for the newborn) we go up to filling the back seat of the truck for 2 weeks worth. And I rarely shop for one week at a time.

 

[Tengu]

How about reusable nappies?

 

[asemery]

Any pictures of the bushloom?

Here is one such loom. Tony
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=79493&page=1

 

[santaman2000]

How about reusable nappies?

Besides the convenience issue there's the conflict over which is more environmentally unfriendly. Re-usables consume large amounts of water and energy being cleaned, and deposit bleach and soap into the sewage chain.

 

[Ian S]

I wish our shops would start selling the cotton carrier bags that you can buy in Germany. They were about 30p when I was last there, they're strong and being made out of unbleached cotton so can be chucked in the washing machine when they're grubby.

Cheers

 

[santaman2000]

I wish our shops would start selling the cotton carrier bags that you can buy in Germany. They were about 30p when I was last there, they're strong and being made out of unbleached cotton so can be chucked in the washing machine when they're grubby.

Cheers

That's the sort of re-usable bags I'm talking about here. Some are unbleached, others are colored; all are washable. There is even one that has a zip top and the whole bag is lines with a thermal material so your cold goods will keep during the trip home.

Even the commissary on base carries them now.