Why don’t we have this option anywhere in the UK?

I know there is an argument that people would just buy more plastic bin bags as they tend to use the shopping bags from the super markets to line there bins. I do this but the number of shopping bags vastly out weighs the number of bin liners I require. I found over 200 separate plastic shopping bags under my sink the other day!

It seems ludicrous that in the US, probably the least environmentally conscious nation, you can opt for the greener, paper bags.

Recycle them, easy, take them to e.g. TESCO and put them in their plastic bag recycling bin..............sorted.

Plenty of uses for plastic bags, i send mine to the local nursery school, they cut along the bottom and the kids use them as aprons when they paint, slips right over their clothing.

Also bought a plastic rubbish holder last year just made to fit under the sink and designed to hold just plastic bags, wish i had bought half dozen now i see how good they work.

also ask owdlad, he finds other uses for them.

resuse them as shopping bags and you wont get so many in the first place!

That and buy a permanent shopping bag and you won't need any plastic bags at all.

I think they should charge for plastic bags so people use less.

Because Ireland has put a 10p tax on plastic bags, all the stores use paper. It's so much better.

If you go to Dublin for a day and get a bit of clothes shopping in, all the bags are great quality paper. You come away feeling like you've spent thousands of pounds!

When you pop into a newsagents and pick up a few sweets or whatever, you just have to carry them. No bags provided.

It's clever and simple at the same time and it works!

Tax the plastic bag!

I've got some of those reusable unbleached cotton bags from In A Nutshell... eliminates the need for wasteful plastic bags!

(The trick is remembering to take them when you go to sainburys to do the weekly shop!!)

I'd love all supermarkets to stop packaging everything in tonnes of plastic.. my recycling boxes are full of plastic! And ONYX won't do kerbside collections for it!

Originally posted by serapis
It seems ludicrous that in the US, probably the least environmentally conscious nation, you can opt for the greener, paper bags.

paper bags are not 'green' or in any way environmentally sound - they are biodegradeable only. Those terms are not synonymous.

It takes huge amounts of energy and water to manufacture paper bags. And there is also a large amount of output of contaminated, waste water.

A poly bag uses a fraction of those resources in its production, but will hang around in landfill for an aeon or two.

So far, the most promising method, apart from the obvious one of having a 'shopping bag', is using biodegradeable plant polymers to make 'plastic' bags.