Anyone changed their supermarket shopping habits lately?

[eri]

cardboard boxes all the way

the ones in the back of the car

have carried about 2 year's worth of weekly shopping

[Nick G]

Oh gosh what paper was I in.

@Eri - you might get a chuckle at this https://www.therisingwasabi.com/cook...n-plastic-bag/

[Wayne]

@Eri - you might get a chuckle at this https://www.therisingwasabi.com/cook...n-plastic-bag/

Like wrapping bananas in plastic!

[Nick G]

The Japanese like to present things nicely. So everything is wrapped up... if you go to a bakery each bun goes in it's own little plastic bag and then into a bigger plastic bag.

[eri]

they sell a shocking amount of expensive air in japan

but some fantastic ideas for wrapping

keeping the crispy seaweed from the damp rice

tetrahedron? peanut packs

[sidinz]

While not disputing the need for elimination of plastic packaging, I find Countdown's approach very disingenuous.
For starters, they are making a mint on selling supposedly multi-use bags for 15c each. I've seen so many people caught out and buying them that it's not funny. Nothing with an attached (not integral) handle will last long and that plastic is not very high grade, either.
I've also heard that the 'permanent' bags that they're charging $1 for are actually very environmentally unfriendly in the manufacture - worse than the so-called 'single use' bags they're supposed to replace.

If they were truly environmentally responsible, instead of charging for other plastic bags, they'd be offering people the used cardboard boxes a la Bunnings.

And finally, given the massive amounts of money they're now saving from not supplying free bags (not to mention the profits from the charged bags) where are the price reductions? Their operating costs have dived and I haven't seen any sign of it on my docket.

[Bob Kane]

Oh gosh what paper was I in.

So many interviews...

This one:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/108122044/Meth-contamination-rules-still-unclear-confusion-for-landlords

[Bob Kane]

While not disputing the need for elimination of plastic packaging, I find Countdown's approach very disingenuous.

That's what I'm now thinking.
It's just a big con by Countdown to tug at the heartstrings.
Riding the wave of Jacinda and the new way of living/thinking.
Environment friendly.
Apparently a lot of people support this approach.
I can't see anything in it for me.
And the amount of rubbish leaving my house hasn't changed.
I think that says it all.

[Perry]

Progressive Enterprises & Foodstuffs play cat and mouse and copycat on all sorts of things.
Mega M10 have dropped plastic bags, too.
Locally, I see that New World have recently implemented the Internet-order-and-home-delivery option.
Coming soon.

[donna]

Countdown shopping arrives in paper bags - seems to work they're really strong. Haven't experienced the rain yet though - so if Countdown deliver to the door and you're not home and it rains - the bags get wet - I guess any breakages etc are at your expense.

Still it's a good move by them to use the paper bags as they were way to liberal with the plastic ones.

cheers,

Donna

[eri]

packnslave

seems to be offering 20 cent brown paper bags

no handles...

[Bob Kane]

Ha!
Now all supermarkets have stopped using single-use plastic bags.
Instead, they have stronger plastic bags which are a bit larger and fit my kitchen rubbish bin better.
So nothing has changed except the 15c cost per bag which I don't mind for a better bag.
This whole exercise was of dubious value which will, in time, be exposed as a con.
I suspect the huge number of supporters were schoolkids and school teachers.
Oh, and the plastic bag manufacturers who sell more plastic per bag than before.
$$$$!

[Davo36]

I disagree totally Bob. No surprise I guess.

Look, yes the bags will be heavier. But there will be way less of them used. It's been shown in places like the UK, that even a very small price for bags is a big deterrent. The price may not put you off, but it will millions apparently.

And if the heavier bags can be reused many times, then it's a win-win.

[sidinz]

I've heard that the much-touted paper bag, while it won't hurt the aquatic wildlife and will decompose better, is still actually really bad for the planet in its manufacture.

[Perry]

It's all a crock of crap, really.

Stand back a bit and imagine some novice media person saying to Taxcindarella and the water melon party's Russel Gormanless:

Good start, folks! Well done.

How soon do you anticipate the gov't promoting milk returning to re-usable glass bottles?

<strained silence follows>