Indeed observing the rows of vegetables on display one had to wonder as to the total quantity of plastic that must find its way on to landfill sites every day, for no useful purpose.

 

Talking to the store’s floor manager, revealed that more could be done to promote recycling from existing resources. It seems stores often routinely recycle their own bulk cardboard and plastic packaging, while recycling bins outside super markets seldom cater for cardboard and plastic, as these are emptied by the Council recycling services….. So why not add additional bins for cardboard and plastic packaging which the Supermarkets themselves can remove? Or…. just simply avoid using the packaging in the first place!

 

On another related problem, Tesco’s themselves estimate that 4 billion plastic bags leave their stores every year in the UK….. so what to do?

 

Many supermarkets now offer to take these bags back, and sell ‘bags for life’, some bags now claim to be bio-degradable…. but will these voluntary solutions work? Or is there need for something like the Irish Republic’s 7p tax on plastic bags?

 

It seems as far as North Somerset Council is concerned the plastic issue is to be referred to their environment scrutiny panel. Do they have the courage to follow Modbury? the town in Devon that has banned plastic bags ….. watch that space…….

Brian & Cllr Deborah Yamanaka at the supermarket recycling point