If you go shopping to a supermarket in Spain, it will be almost impossible to get a plastic bag for free (the bags you use for carrying the things you buy). If you are lucky, meaning if you go to the correct supermarket, you will get at least one bag with a representative extra charge.
According to the Plan Nacional Integrado de Residuos (National Integrated Waste Plan), between 2010 and 2014, companies in Spain have to reduce up to 50% from their plastic bag use. I am happy to announce that they already started:
One dump full of plastic bags that were thrown away
Picture taken from thechicecologist.com
Last year, Carrefour became the first former company that eradicated plastic bags and offered their clients alternative ecobags. Following its example, Caprabo reduced plastic bag use and saved around 22 million bags. This was only in 8 months, as their ecological campaign was not even a year old.
Another example is the German supermarket company established in Spain: Lidl. They stopped giving plastic bags and replaced them with 100% biodegradable bags. They also offer cotton bags to their clients, in order to reduce the environmental damage caused by plastic.
If you ask me I agree with these actions, as new shopping habits are being established by Spain and, in general, European nations. It is good to know that we are actually listening, and with the “help” (or should we say pressure?) of governmental legislations, an ecological lifestyle is being formulated.
Plastic bags are a risk for animals, as they die when they eat them, confusing them with food.
Picture taken by parsonspr.files.wordpress.com
Now, what is noticeable is that this eco-friendly-bag-lifestyle already became popular, as in every single store I enter there are different campaigns supporting the consumption of reusable shopping bags. It is a reality that fashion industry contributed in making trendy to have reusable shopping bags, instead of plastic. It is “cool” to be green.
This might not be only the case of developed nations, as in some Latin American capital cities, such as Mexico City and Buenos Aires, it is already forbidden to have a free use in supermarkets. In other cities, such as Santiago de Chile and Bogotá, different methods are being proposed by government.
Fashion or not, what supermarkets are reaching is something that should be admired. It is hard to stop consumer habits, and it is even worst when they are risking their consumers preference for the store.Well, they are making it possible.
We could even place in doubt the real objective of these companies: selling just by becoming a part of the eco-fashion industry, or actually being concerned about the environment and helping with their own "local actions". In the end, it does not matter that much, as the results will be the same : Less plastic waste in the world!
(Andrea Arzaba, June 2010)
Turtles, dolphins, other marine species.. Every time I see a plastic bag I remember them, so hungry in the ocean, eating this human-created waste, poor animals, they just follow their instincts.. Andrea, that beautiful turtle picture is breaking my heart. I’m super sensitive on this issue.
I agree with you that in the end, it doesn’t really matter if a supermarket is honestly green or just pretending to be. And definitely governments have a lot to do with this. Here in the UK you are offered plastic bags in most supermarkets, as far as I know, and they even open them for you! I bet if they made customers pay for them, even if 10p or so, many more people would bring their own reusable bags. It’s all about the money anyways. Green campaigns won’t really make a big difference. It’s only when people are forced to pay for something they don’t really need (a plastic bag), they will change their behaviour.
It is a mad world, isn’t it?
I believe the key factor is change of habits - although extremely difficult to achieve. Particularly in this case, in Brazil, ecobags’ wave is spreading, but still timidly, unfortunately.
Hi Andrea,
Great. Less plastic bags.
It doesn’t make a difference. Have you seen the increase in packing materials for individual items? And the smaller the item, the bigger the packaging to prevent theft. Next time have a look at razorblades and the way this expensive item is wrapped.
@Giedre:
Nice try with 10p for a plastic bag. No, it should be two pounds, that is when people will say thank you, but no.
It is just a matter of the governments making it law and if all supermarkets had to ask that price from the same date, supermarkets would keep their clientele and don’t loose costumers to the supermarket that wouldn’t charge for the bags.
Is it all so difficult?
Great article. I remember maybe 12 or 13 years ago (when I was a little kid at the time), my family used to have a couple of fabric shopping bags that they used to take with them every time they went to the markets. If reintroduced to the public, along with raising the prices for plastic bags, it would have a significant effect.
Andrea,
we have the same situation here. Most shops offer bags but customers have to pay for them. All of a sudden you see people going shopping with their own bags. They also offer large variety of reusable shopping bags - jute, fabric, plastic, you name it.
One fashion magazine had a gift for its readers which was a part of the magazine - fabric shopping bag. So did one large fashion clothes chain - they gave away fabric shopping bags as Christmas gifts to its customers. Both bags are great - light, folding, great design so plenty of ladies use them saving the world from plastic waste. Vanity - occasionally - can be good
.
@Johan, a tonne of plastic bags never produced will not save the world. But this is a start. Getting plastic bags outside of people’s understanding of shopping and demonising them can actually have an impact, however slow and small-scale at first. People’d give it a second thought. What I see now is ignorance: they buy lose carrots, lose tomatoes and a leak, and they put them in separate plastic bags. Do they really believe vegetables are fighting a war with each other and cannot be left in the same place together?! Or they put two or three items into one plastic bag, and end up leaving the supermarket with 20 bags. Now, OK I agree you are right, 10p is nothing, 2 pounds is much more like it. As for the governments - that’s what I said in my first comment: there has to be a law forcing supermarkets to charge for plastic bags. As far as I remember here in the UK they’ve been thinking about it, but then in the end decided it’s not their business, or something. In my home country, supermarkets are even smarter. They charge you for a plastic bag something like 10 or 20 cents, but if you buy for over 50Lt, they give it to you for 1 cent. So if you have a bill of 47Lt, you’ll take some chewing gum in order to pay just 1 cent for the bag. Raising sales, that’s called.
Oh, and definitely you are right about the amount of packaging they use. It’s outrageous! Of course if I bring my green bag but fill it up with packaging I’m not making Earth any favours. I’m just being an ignorant hypocrite. So that’s another front to fight on.
@Giedre,
But look, I also found some good news on packaging this morning: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/06/17/10-innovations-changing-way-products-are-packaged-and-shipped?page=0,0
@Johan,
I’m thinking: what we need now is the alternatives and one-off initiatives to become mainstream. So that the good alternative is taken for granted as opposed to being just an alternative.
How to achieve this? Ahhh damn you hard questions!
Design innovations in this case, definitely. And then government action… in the meantime, people made more conscious about their actions, large scale. And charge them for their sins. That’s the language homo nonsapiens understands.
Here in Austria it is a habit to take your own shopping bag with you ..
@ Giedre: This is sad to say but what you think is indeed the truth. Is all about money! And If they charged even more than 10p, it would even become more common to use “reusable” bags
And now another question…what will actually happen with people from the plastic bag factories and businesses? Unemployment…??
@Luan: But we can become one good example. And it is spreading around right? Soon they will be more common than plastic bags!
@Johan: Less plastic bags DOES make a difference! I know what you mean with those HORRIBLE packaging that sometimes are even BIGGER than the object you are actually buying! Pfff…capitalism and our “constant wasting and throwing away” lifestyle
@Aija: Then Austria is one EXAMPLE to follow
Well, in Jordan you can still get a plastic bag for free…
I commented that plastic bags are banned here in Ireland, unless you pay for them. Plus, as noted, cloth bags are stylish!
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