Tried something new

I went to the grocery store today, and brought a few cloth bags with me to put my vegetables in instead of using the plastic they provide, and I don’t know why, but disrupting my normal routine of using the plastic felt so rebellious! But no one stopped me, or made a fuss about it. The only annoying part was doing self check out. The self check out machine kept making a grocery worker check and recheck what I was doing, which was upsetting, but it’s over! I didn’t use any plastic to go to the grocery store! Yay! (I lied, I used a bag for bulk chickpeas. But going to reuse that bag for when I go back to the bulk area! Wish I had brought another bag.)

Has anyone tried zero waste living/lifestyle? I was going to buy tofu, but decided against it since the package of plastic it comes in is a lot.

[benwl Volunteer]

Great that you made a plastic free shipping trip. It's crazy how much packaging everything has these days.

I've noticed that awareness of using/not using plastic shopping bags has really increased in the UK, and I now take my own bags instead.

But unfortunately I still buy things like grapes and berries that's still packaged up.

[grace111 in reply to benwl]

i saw a programme on tv about them putting a tax on plastic and the interviewer was speaking to the man who owned the shop and he asked the shop owner how he felt about this increase on plastic and the shop keeper said it was going to cost him a fortune because most of the stuff he sold was in plastic containers or wrapped in plastic. i still buy my grapes and fruits in plastic containers too as the broccoli is usually wraped in a plastic covering.

[Hidden in reply to grace111]

I ended using a plastic bag for my chickpeas (didnt have any cloth bags left, oops!). The plastic tax puts things into...I wonder if the shop owner would have to charge his customers also, to cover the tax? And if there is a way for him to change up his store...

[grace111 in reply to Hidden]

yes he would have to charge the customers more. it may have been panarama i saw that on but i cant be sure. you should see the amount of plastic carrier bags i have. I now put bags inside my hand bag i think they'r made of strong nylon they fold up and zip up into the size of a purse., my friends gave me two .they are great bags and i can get a lot into them. they dont take up much room in my handbag thats quite big too. so im not buying carrier bags....... so much. we can only try

[Agoodenough]

Ha good for you. Maybe we should all take the wrapping off things and leave it on the shelf and hopefully they should get the message. I think a turn around on plastic is imminent so that’s a good thing!

[Hidden in reply to Agoodenough]

I wonder what would happen if people did that? i hope that you are right<3

[GoGo_JoJo]

I don't bother putting loose veg into the plastic bags. I weigh it as it is and put it into my own shopping bags and when I print the label I just stick it to either an already prewrapped product or stick it back to back to another in my shopping bag.

Packaging is so out of control, a small amount is needed but so much is just unnecessary!