We had enamel washing up bowls in my childhood, and I remember the glass bottle of Stergene (used for washing woollens) being used to wash the pots. You used to get 2d old money refunded when you took the empty bottle back, also on Domestic bottles which were dark green glass, 2d also back on those as well. Milk bottles put out on the door step to be collected when the milkman brought the next days milk. Rag and bone men used to come around from time to time, and as well as collecting old clothes would take jam jars and give you about 3d for about six jars. As children we were allowed to have the money from the bottles and jars for sweets. The only time we used to buy those paper carriers with the string handles was if we were sent to the fish and chip shop as they made the other shopping bags reek from the smell, I think they were around 3d, otherwise shopping baskets or bags. When you bought a large item of clothing such as a coat or suit, they were packed in either a very large strong paper bag bearing the store"s name or a large shallow box with tissue paper inside, and then wrapped in brown paper and fastened with string. Most of us had open fires and would burn the wrappings from foodstuffs that were smelly or had leaked and couldn't be used for anything else. I think the bulk of the contents of our dustbin were the ashes from the fire.