We love feedback - and the meeting of minds that ensues
Published: 2009-04-21 By: Gwilym Griffith-JonesCampaign: GetReal - Stop Free Plastic Bags Campaign Report
Category: Follow Ups
Guys, your plastic bag campaign is misguided. You'd be better chasing some thing that is going to make a greater difference than a plastic bag! Yes, I know there are heaps that go to landfill, but how many plastic bags does it take to make a plastic milk bottle or a plastic coke bottle?
Easy tiger, give us a chance: Our second campaign will start later this week aiming at things higher up the chain. Plastic bags was the lowest hanging fruit
Any research shows that people use their plastic bags to line the rubbish bin at home. With none they will go and buy bin liners which are heaps thicker in plastic. I hear bin liner sales are up 16% already - what do you think your initiative is going to do to bin liner sales?
16% more bin liners is in the hundreds of thousands, reducing super market bags by 80% is in the hundreds of millions. One large decrease minus a small rise in slightly thicker bags equals a large saving in plastic film products in our environment. Bin liners should also be specifically designed for use, biodegradable etc. Astonishingly some people even use buckets and other receptacles that last years and then can be recycled for this purpose. Just because old cars can be filled with rubbish and pushed off cliffs doesn't mean we should do it. Using plastic bags for packaging compost into landfill is kinda the same.
Supermarkets are the only winners in this - again. They get to charge us for bags and they get the increase in bin liner sales - and they get to look environmentally friendly - which they are not!
Supermarkets are big companies who make profit. We do not control how they make profit off milk or toothbrushes, why would we get all het up about them selling bin liners? If you are worried about supermarket profits start a food co-op and a community garden scheme locally.