During the week I shopped at Aldi.
I thought I would get the biodegradable bags, I only needed a few and I believe the ones which include cornstarch in the ingredients will degrade fine in the soil (I use my bags for rubbish bags).
I grabbed several of the biodegradable cornstarch bags and put them on the conveyor belt. Now, it's probably a good idea to use these bags, they're much more environmentally friendly. Unlike the mor solid plastic ones and the indestructibe petrochemical enviro shopping bags which are useless for anything else when they wear out (the handles wear out quickly).
The checkout woman said to me "You do know that those are the most expensive bags?" she said, picking up the cornflour blend ones. I didn't as it turns out. "Why, how much are they?" I asked. "Eighty five cents, and those are only fifteen cents." WOOT? Ok. Put back the biodegradable bags and grab the plastic ones. The plastic which takes forever to degrade, unline the other ordingary bags which degrade in the sun.
4 comments:
As corn or potato starch based biodegradable bags are very expensive, now there is an alternative biodegradable/compostable technology available as per EN 13432:2000 standards with the lowest cost addition which is called "Bioplast Enzyme based biodegradable bags" and they will be available throughout Europe very soon.
You can find out more about this unique enzyme based biodegradable technology on their website;
http://www.bioplast.com.tr
Woot indeed!
Years ago, the corn starch bags were being introduced in any case, then the greens - bless 'em and their little tofu socks - started with their plastic bag / reusable (but still persistently plastic) bag political campaigns, and before you know it, the corn starch bags vanished, never to be heard of again.
The corn starch bags were NOT expensive five years ago, they were free.
Congratulations to the eco-fundamentalist. Bloody marvelous outcome.
Yeah, Caz, but this IS Aldi. No fancy overheads.
I remember when Franklins never advertised and they were much cheaper than Coles and Woolies. Then United Steam Ship took over and they just went the same as the big two... and now they're gone. They made their name keeping prices very low and not advertising.
I get pissed off with Woolies now. If you go thru the checkout there's a sign that says (paraphrased) "Three items or less don't get a bag."
Go. To. Blazes! I want a bag to carry my three items. They'd better not try it with me when I buy three awkward items. I'll hit the bloody roof.
Well, they FOUND a "fancy overhead", didn't they! Not exactly the sort of environmental message I thought Aldi would want to send - hey, buy plastic, it's so much cheaper! Trying to cash in on people's guilty conscious is not a path to successfully implementing sustainable practices.
I shouldn't be surprised by the Woolies sign, but I am.
Most often I have a bag with me for shopping (small to medium items only though), even so, I get mightily pissed when I purchase several items and am asked in a judgmental tone whether I want a bag, or worse still - and it's an increasing practice - no bag is offered regardless of the number of items purchased and the customer is forced to - pointedly - make the request.
I mean,truly, in the West we've never been taught how to balance and carry an array of items on our heads over long distances.
Doesn't matter if grocery items are big or small, unless it's a packet of smokes, a small drink or an ice cream or a newspaper, odds on you're not going to wander off down the street juggling and dropping your groceries. Humans only have two hands, and not everyone is walking five metres to get to a car.
Hey, don't they want people to reduce driving? How much the impact of taking an entire car to carry half a dozen groceries home, versus the impact of a plastic or corn starch bag to carry the same items and walk to and from home?
Woolies can stuff it. If I don't have a bag with me, I'll damned well be asking for one no matter how many items I purchase.
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