Does anyone know when a bag is not even usable, let alone re-usable? When is a bag worn out? What criteria does it have to fulfil to be thrown away (or recycled I suppose).
I think they should have printed on them a five-point bullet list of symptoms: ‘Any one of these means you quality for another one. Because as far as I can tell, everyone’s definition of ‘broken’ or ‘worn’ is different.
As I packed my shopping into one of them a while ago, the cashier pointed out an area where the plastic was thinning.’ Would you like another one?’ she asked. ‘Oh no! It’s got a lot more life in it.’
Some say I take the bag use too far. When a pot of marinated anchovies spilled into one of them, I put the bag in the washing machine. A fishy bag is an unwelcome smell at the checkout.
When it came out it was a sort of buff colour all over. It had lost its corporate identity: nothing remained of the logo or colour. Just a nothing bag. I wasn’t doing the shop’s advertising any more and so consequently I love it.
On another shopping trip, I asked if I could have a new bag as one of mine was developing a hole. The woman called her supervisor. I think she suspected me of trying to wheedle a free bag out of her without sufficient reason. It was all a bit heavy.
I said that they were ‘bags for life’ (though if you put it over your head, it might suffocate you.) ‘Bag for death’...
They seemed to consult together quietly and eventually I got a new bag.
So when has a ‘bag for life’ expired?
Shops could employ ‘Bag for Life’ Inspectors. Uniformed and carrying a clipboard. There should be national ‘Bag endurance’ competitions. Or a sort of pie eating contest for carrier bags: who can cram the most shopping in one without its splitting?
Personally I wouldn’t mind them being a bit smaller – when mine are loaded up with tins of Scotch Broth and jars of marmalade they catch on the weeds sprouting up from my garden path.
You see they’re not even insured so third party or accidental damage means I can make a claim.
And I also want to be able to swap them at any store I’m in – wouldn’t that be friendly? In Waitrose I could replace the bust Asda bag for a classy one...
The whole thing’s a bit of a farce really. That I can console myself as contributing to Green living just by re-using a bag. I get off lightly I think.
Eco-concerns should require a bit more effort from our part. I do buy my eggs from a farm I’ll have you know so I don’t buy egg boxes any more...
And I don’t buy much make-up. One nail varnish every year, a lipstick every three so that saves chucking away more packaging and stuff that never decomposes.
Still it all feels a bit too easy. But I suppose until I’m forced to grow my own food and behead my own chickens, I’ll carry on taking my faded, hideously-shaped bags to the shops. And washing them frequently.
Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here
Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here
