The End of Plastic?

Well I’m sure you have heard the debate about plastic bags in the media, we cannot seem to avoid it at the moment...but it seems that the government will finally be following the Irish Republic and banning the bags in shops.

As with all environmental debates, it is not as easy as it seems. Yes this means that I can promote the Ethical shoppers that are available (Emmeline 4 Re, Katherine Hamnett, Turtle Bags, and your local Supermarket to name a few), but what are the consequences of this?

Using a recycled bag is great, and will have a positive impact on the environment. However it has been reported that in Ireland sales of plastic waste bin bags have actually gone up! This is because many people use their supermarket carriers as bin bags, and people are now having to go out and buy plastic bin bags, which use a heavier weight of plastic in the manufacture! This means that MORE plastic is actually ending up in landfill.

I'm not saying that banning plastic bags is wrong. I think it is a very positive thing. However as responsible ethical consumers we will now need to think about how we dispose of our household waste!