How far would you go to avoid paying 5p for a plastic carrier bag?
Use of disposable plastic bags in supermarkets has fallen by 80% since the 5p charge was introduced – and penny-pinching shoppers are going to extreme lengths to avoid buying them.
Waste and recycling company BusinessWaste.co.uk asked shoppers what they had used in place of a disposable bag.
Here are some of the more unusual answers:
- Builder’s bucket (“I’m a builder, I’ve got loads of buckets. What a money-saver”)
- Car blanket tied up at all four corners (“I do it all the time now, the till operators think it’s very clever”)
- Cycle helmet (“Which means I had to push the bike home. Swings and roundabouts, as they say”)
- Dog poo bag (“I’ve always got a few in my pocket, and they hold more than you expect. Better still, they’re free from the council offices!”)
- Pair of trousers tied up at the ankles (“They were in the back of the car, they saved me at least 20p on bags, and hardly anybody laughed at me, so that’s a plus”)
- Coat with loads of pockets (“I leave the supermarket looking like a very successful shoplifter, so getting past the security guard is always a challenge”)
- Baby’s pram (“An old-fashioned one with all the springs and such. All my children are grown up, mind you”)
- Flower pot (“One of those huge decorative ones from the homeware aisle. It was just the right size”)
- In the arms of my children (“I’ve got four, and they’ve got two good arms each. They’re not keen on the frozen stuff.”)
- Suitcase (“Suitcases are completely under-rated as a shopping bag alternative. Think about it – they’re only used once a year when you go on holiday, so why let them go to waste? Top tip: Make sure it’s one with wheels”)
