Reusing plastic bags by returning it back - environmental friendly
Dear All,
Me and my collegues daily we used to order breakfast/lunch from outside. Every day within my friends circle we throw more than 100 covers which come as packing for food...which anyway not touched by food.
I feel restaurents should keep some intiative like returning the covers and repay some 20-30 cents...to encourage more people not to throw the plastic bags which goes back as waste...and environmental hazardous.
On otherway even we plannning to go with a clothbag/paperBag to collect our breakfasts daily, so the covers will left with the supplier.
The same way when we collect food order directly @ home...also we can try in same way!!
It's just a small advice to protect the nature.
Dear Molten Metal,
Very Nice Idea...once you created..please do share with us too!! Necessity is the mother of inventions.
anlina: When these plastic bags were not yet invented, I am sure people used paper bags and cloth bags. I remember using them in the 70's and it was common. Britexpat is right that the UK government succeeded in putting a 5p charge on each bag and was successful in their act. But then the majority of the population in the UK has some basic education which is not found in most third world countries. Hence the difference.
Molten Metal: Your view of using old sweaters as shopping bags is no doubt one of your usual, lovely (!) "philosophical" ideas. Could I use my old socks to bring home some biscuits, chocolates, slices of cakes etc from the baqala?
Hello An, So nice of you for bringing it up. It is a refresher for the QLers. We can alter our old sweater to use it as a shopping bag ........... How fancy .....!
Dear acchabaccha,
i mean Paper Bags/Cloth Bags of our own.
We can take this small initiative personally wherever possible like we collect breakfast / small amount of groceries. Becoz even saving a small plastic bag to throwaway is good.
it's well appreciated really what you doing. Yes all your points true, banning of bags may not possible completely.
anilina: You'e right - education is important. However, in the UK , the government issued a law that mandated that a charge of 5p be made per bag - This , along with education has helped reduce usage by 80% in two years.
True these polyurethane bags are definitely a mess and like you, I also think likewise. However, your idea is not practical for several reasons. When it comes to food items, people would not like their food to packed in used bags simply because one would not know how badly the bag was used by the previous user. What I usually do is that I carry a bag from my home whenever I go to the Baqala. I am possibly the only one in my area who does this and the Baqala people smile and appreciate my act. It is my very small way of contribution. However, this act cannot be practised at large supermarkets as the supermarkets shopping bags with their logos on is form of security check. Security people at such markets keep a watch for their own bags.
There is no way to ban these bags. There are two factors behind this. First is the cost. They hardly cost anything. Second is the convenience.
My country did take the step of banning it. It led to brawls between customers and shopkeepers on almost a daily basis. Ultimately, the regulation on the ban failed.
Ya that's true... but educating and making a change in people thought more important. paying 5QAR charge after buying 200Qar worth shopping..we won't feel much :).
Ya that's true... but educating and making a change in people thought more important. paying 5QAR charge after bying 200Qar worth shopping..we won't feel much :).
The simplest and best option is to ban plastic bags or make a small charge for them -