Big Brown Paper Sack-Bags Like In The Us....

[Mosaic]

...with all the fuss about plastic carrier bags clarting up the environment, you'd think some of these retailers would twig the nice brown paper sacks they dole out in the US (think Maggie Simpson on the checkout). Mrs Chappie's post made me think.
Cheap to make - recycled materials and easily recyclable - good advertising opportunity. Burn well on the fire. What's not to like?

[janbee]

No handles !

[viv41]

Bit bulky to carry without handles.

[hc4361]

From the shop's point of view - take a lot of room to store, cost a lot more to transport, no good in the rain.

[wolf63]

Tesco sometimes deliver my fruit and veg in brown bags. Princess Merlin loves playing in them - her brother is more of a cardboard box cat.

They are robust bags and seem to be hard wearing.

[wired]

We can all afford to buy reusable shopping bags, why should we expect someone to provide them? Most shops provide parking and you can have your stuff delivered too, next someone will complain about the nanny state

[-SharonA-]

Almost like Primark bags!

[Bazile]

Now you mention it - You always see people carrying them in US films / tv series , don't you

[ummmm]

Tesco's brown paper bags have handles.

[ummmm]

Baz...and have you noticed they only seem to do enough shopping to fill two bags?

[hc4361]

wired, you're assuming all shoppers have a car and/or internet access.

[B00]

What's having a car got to do with using reusable bags?

[Baldric]

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/paper-plastic1.htm

[mccfluff]

i have just been trying to buy paper bags, to replace the plastic ones we give out and they're too expensive - even bulk buying. its going to be cheaper for us to increase the size and microns of our current bags so they qualify as "bags for life"

[237SJ]

Some American shops do have paper bags with handles (Whole Foods Market) but Americans drive everywhere - they only have to get them to their car trunk. They don`t tend to traipse down the road in the rain to the bus stop with their shopping.

[Bazile]

ummmm

//Baz...and have you noticed they only seem to do enough shopping to fill two bags?//

lol - yes

[-SharonA-]

And in films these bags are always breaking, spilling shopping!!!

[wired]

HC4361,
No, I have a car, Internet access etc but I walk into town or take public transport if possible, I have reusable shopping bags and also a back pack for use when I don't need too much.

[Old_Geezer]

I too think that was the correct response, to encourage paper rather than plastic. After all despite the weak justification for this latest imposition, folk can still put plastic bags into the environment; they are just charged for them these days. So, so much for that. But discussing with a friend of mine who once worked in a paper mill, he pointed out that paper isn't exactly environment friendly either. Lots of steam needed to form it, and heat to remove the water, and various other processes (he could explain better than I) so one wonders how much total benefit it would be in the end. Of course the solution is to ban the super/hyper stores and have everyone go to the local shop and carry back a few items each day in their arms.

[Chipchopper]

I often wonder if its obligatory to have a stick of French bread and a bunch of celery, sticking out of the top of the bag, like in the US films.

[Mosaic]

Chipchopper, don't forget the quart of milk and the eggs because these have to fall out of the bottom and break messily. It's a tradition.