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I use them instead of black bags, and for other things... Not ideal, I know - but you won't stop them bringing the bags around; the people who have that kind of job are desperate for anything to earn money, so they have to stick them in your post box! I think you could take them back to the appropriate charity shop, if there is one in your area.

And the kinds of clothes I would be able to give them, they wouldn't want anyway. Rags, more like it.

Technically they are supposed to collect all bags that are put out, full or empty. They never do collect the empty ones so like you, ina, I use them for rubbish collection and do have quite a backlog.

I suppose it saves us money but it does add to the sum total of plastic in the world. A lot of people just throw them in the bin with the rubbish instead of using them because they are the wrong size for the bin in the kitchen.

Flo wrote:A lot of people just throw them in the bin with the rubbish instead of using them because they are the wrong size for the bin in the kitchen.

Really? What a waste! I'm too lazy to bother remembering when I'm supposed to put them out, and I figure that if they leave them on my doorstep unasked, then they're mine. Luckily, I don't get very many, because they can sit in the back of a drawer for a long time before I get round to using them.

Looking back at the discussion - mostly supermarket shopping plastic - well now that £5 and £10 notes in England are plastic - hmm, you ain't going to ban plastic when shopping. If you use a card it's plastic and if you use money it's plastic.

Now that does make it hard to cut down on plastic.

Flo wrote:Looking back at the discussion - mostly supermarket shopping plastic - well now that £5 and £10 notes in England are plastic - hmm, you ain't going to ban plastic when shopping. If you use a card it's plastic and if you use money it's plastic.

Now that does make it hard to cut down on plastic.

Can't help thinking you're right and add on a lot of people who don't want to give up plastic ( thinking here of those who make a habit of wrapping sandwiches in cling film) and it is hard to cut down.
This has led me to wonder whether the emphasis should be towards replacing oil based plastics with those based on things like cellulose that will rot down eventually . Here I'm thinking of those "compostable " drink containers I see at festivals etc which claim to be completely biodegradable , not that I've ever tried putting them in my compost bins.

Hi
In this move to banish plastics can I ask how you package food for freezing?
From my reading, fresh is best followed by properly prepared frozen followed by preserved (not counting things like dried pulses and grains). Not only this but it seems people will more readily access and use their stored frozen foods than they will their preserved ones.

So, given the above, how do we store frozen food other than in plastic bags, wraps and containers?

Just thought I would toss this grenade into the crowd

It's a discussion we've had often and not really resolved.

I've replaced most of my plastic tubs with freezer-proof glass ones in differing sizes but they still have plastic (or possibly silicone) lids. I haven't found a suitable replacement for freezer bags though, so I just try to re-use them, if possible.

Just seen a news report on this matter and it looks like at least a small step is taking place in Holland.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... upermarket
In the tv interview it showed what looked like plastic wrapping and trays but the manager explained that they were fully biodegradable and started to decompose after around 12 weeks. Which of course is good but does nothing to help weedo with his freezing or for that matter those of us who like to store more than a couple of months worth of food.

I asked a similar question on another forum and received a reply to the effect that the biodegradable plastics shouldbeok in a freezer.
Cut and pasted,
Postby Clarebelle » Thu Mar 01, 2018 12:28 pm

I am not 100% sure about this but I believe that if it was put in the freezer it would take a very long time to break down, if ever. I am a gardener at a market garden type establishment and we try to be as green as possible. Our fruit and veg punnets are made with plant matter which feels just like a normal plastic punnet but is 100% compostable. However, for them to break down in the 12 weeks they would need to go into a hot compost system, they wouldn't break down anywhere near that quickly in a normal compost bin. They can go into landfill and they will eventually break down completely into organic matter but if frozen I believe this process would be arrested.

Perhaps we are quacking up the wrong shrub? Has anyone (with apologies to the Veg's and Vegans) looked at animal products as alternative packaging? Our ancestors wrapped harvest etc. in animal membranes (and veg containers) of many types and cached them - often in permafrost.

Just putting it out there

I have located some reusable silicone "bags" claimed to be good for everything from freezing to microwaving, dishwahser safe etc.etc. BUT at $A40.00 each for the 2 litre size !!!!!!

I believe that there is a lot of emphasis put on us, the end consumer, with regards to butting down on plastic and not enough on the supply chain. On the other hand, I have a lot of plastic food containers which have lasted me for at least eight years and are still going strong. They came inexpensive in the days when Poundland sold good standard gear and are far less breakable than glass when removing from a high shelf would be. They are not easily recyclable so will stand the test of time/wear and usage.

Now in the press at the end of 2017 it was reported that the world is running out of sand. That should cause difficulty making glass so what do we use instead of glass?

Flo wrote: ↑Thu Mar 08, 2018 9:58 am it was reported that the world is running out of sand.

How on earth can we be running out of sand when the Sahara is full of the stuff?
Or is it the wrong sort of sand like the British Rail's wrong sort of snow?