Shopping bags

Why oh why does every shop seem to think that I need a massive bag for every individual thing that I buy? I think I’m turning into a grumpy old man as every shopping trip seems to get me grumbling these days. Heal’s on Tottenham Court Road was the worst offender today; I saw the checkout girl going for an elaborate shopping bag in which to place a small box of shower curtain rings so I quickly tried to head her off by saying “Don’t worry about a bag, thanks.” Somehow between my lips and her ears this must have transformed into “A small paper bag for me, thanks.”

I’ve even taken to carrying around a couple of spare plastic bags with me in my main work bag just in case I pop into the supermarket on the way home. There’s really no need for us to pick these up all the time and it annoys me when I see people taking a billion of them for just a few items. Are we all just too lazy these days?

I’d love to think that the UK will follow in Ireland’s footsteps but the only way I see this happening is if the Government places a mandatory tax on the bags. There’s no way that one of the big supermarkets would start charging for them as they would simply drive customers away. I know that a lot of people have to watch their pennies so putting a tax on bags may not be popular but people don’t really have much of an excuse not to re-use them.