Two eco-surprises at the shops today

The supermarkets all claim to have alternative net bags to the plastic ones for the fruit and vegetables but I've never seen them.

I bought some veg from the market when DS2 and family were staying back in August as DiL2 is rather fussy about not using packed goods from the supermarket.

Our market consists of one veg stall and a couple of vans selling meat and dairy, once a week on Tuesdays.

As it was a really hot day, the lettuce was limp and tasteless. So it's back to the supermarket for me, where the veg are cooled and protected from the sun, and probably have a quicker turnover. We are in a very small town and only have a couple of supermarkets and a Lidl.

I am also a fan of Veggio bags and many supermarket cashiers have commented on them as being a good idea. They are washable and seem very strong so should last for ages. I wrote to Waitrose ages ago to suggest they sold them next to the fruit and veg but did not receive any reply. The Sainsbury ones are very similar to the Veggio ones - good to see them there. If ever I forget to take them with me I use the brown paper mushroom bags for loose fruit/veg.

Not every town has a local market, where I live we have a Farmers market once a month.

I’ve bought a couple of the mesh bags from Sainsbugs but loved them so much I’m keeping my socks in them! I had already made some myself for fruit and veg so all good

People under the age of about 50 won't ever have known a time without all this plastic. We used to live without it and we can do again. Once everyone gets on board with the changes things should improve considerably.
Goodness me, when I was young in the 50s we didn't even have a fridge let alone vegetables wrapped in plastic. We ate seasonal veg and there was none of this wrapping everything in sight. Meat hung outside the butchers shop in the fresh air and our bread from the baker was wrapped in a flimsy bit of paper which didn't even cover the loaf. Our fish and chips were wrapped in newspaper ... amazing how so many of us survived it all!

Me as well, I first thought this thread was all about stuffing for a Christmas Dinner.

Our fresh meat counter in Tesco has just closed and the deli bar is only open on certain days.
That forces shoppers to buy pre-packed as there is little choice of retailer around here.

DD was using waxed cloths to cover food in the fridge in place of clingfilm, biodegradable sandwich bags and cotton net bags for vegetables.

I will be taking my reusable carrier bags as usual. My fruit and veg will go in the basket and if using a trolley basket will go in there. At checkout the operator will just need to decide how to scan. It's ridiculous the public is being asked to pay for a bag when nearly everything else is packed, wrapped or bottled in some kind of plastic in the stores.

I buy cheap pillows from B&M or Bargain Stores and use the stuffing inside to make cushions etc... It also leaves me with the material from the pillow which I also use.

I saw Boots had brown paper bags the other day.

I am all for doing away with single use plastic bags, paper ones are so much better, but if people dont have anything and just put things on the conveyor belt and into their trolley is there going to be a mess left on the belt, soil, leaves etc? No doubt it will be sorted soon when people remember to have bags with them.
I wish they would do away with putting cucumber in plastic,I take it off as soon as I get home.

I've found that market prices aren't always cheaper than those at the supermarket.

I am very green and always have been because I am frugal and don't like waste. I have always looked out for the planet.

However, all this greenwash, hypocrisy, ill informed greeniac nonsense and sanctimony gives me the pip. I am completely fed up with people who fly long haul for holidays lecturing me about things I am not even doing!

Ladymuck too inconvenient? Duh!

Gilly1952

Yes, I remember the thick blue bags sugar came in. My dad was a smallholder, Mum sold eggs at the door using the bags to put them in.
Our parents generation really did make do and mend. I was brought up to save all paper bags, buttons were cut off old clothes, string was saved, veg peelings etc was fed to the chickens and pigs, glass bottles were refundable, and so on.
Everyone had proper shopping baskets, and I suppose many people shopped on a daily basis, so you didn’t need lots of bags.

Most things can just be put into your trolley loose then straight into your shopping bag.

I bought sainsburys veg bag as I had lots of small Brussels sprout sand didn,t like the idea of having to catch all to put in my shopping bag!

An Eco shop has just opened in our street, DGs and I had a wander round on Saturday. I was amazed at all the plastic, all the toiletries, cleaning stuff and quite a lot of items such as Honey and spreads all in plastic containers. The f ruit and veg was dodgy to say the least, wrinkled peppers and very limp lettuces.
The prices made my eyes water, we have a corner shop opposite and they are much more Eco friendly and a lot cheaper. From 1933 and still in the same family, guess where I will be shopping?

I buy or sew cloth bags, or buy one of the good quality reusable carrier bags that Aldi, Lidl etc. sell. If I am on my cargo bike I always have two giant shoppers and a folding basket with me, if I walk I take a rucksack and a cloth carrier bag with me.

Remember what our mothers did when we were children?

If you can't carry things, a good shopping bag on wheels is the answer.

So did I BlueBelle

I have been getting my groceries delivered by Sainsburys for some time now. However, I shall now have to stop as their new policy of 'no bags', will make it too inconvenient. The drivers are only given a short time for each delivery and they will now be expected to empty the boxes as well as deliver them. It will be too much hassle. I suggested that each customer should 'rent' a box which would then be returned at each delivery, which the driver I spoke to said was a good idea, but they are not acting on it.

Just make sure you weigh your veg loose first. Even the smallest bag adds to what you’re paying for. To be fair Sainsbury's now have a sign that says weigh them loose before bagging. I remember lots of publicity about saving the rainforests by not using paper . . .

I bought a couple of the Sainsburys reuseable bags, small drawstring mesh bags for fruit and veg. Haven't actually used them yet because I just put loose veg into my main shopping bag.
You could make your own from a pair of charity shop net curtains, you'd get quite a few bags from one pair.
I too find the old carrier bags useful for all sorts of things, but am running out.
Thinking cap on.

Actually I checked the JL website and they do still have the polyester toy stuffing online.
Haven't used the wool version yet, but I'm having a mammoth sewing-up-and-stuffing session today, so will see how it compares.