Bags of ideas: Shopping solutions to plastic pledge
You may think we've got bags on the brain, but so has anyone who's trying to be green, it seems - Including most UK retail giants. Primark, Halfords, Currys, Boots and pretty much all the supermarkets signed a pledge yesterday, to significantly cut down on plastic bag usage by 2008; the goal is a 25% reduction in just two years. It's estimated that this will avoid 58,500 tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere.
Details of the scheme are 'still to be worked out', but this hasn't stopped most grocery shops bringing out their own eco shopper bags in anticipation of the imminent cutback on plastic. I'm quite partial to Tesco's 'ladybird' design, but the other supermarkets have come up with some equally fun motifs. Of course, there are other ways to transport your weekly shop: I predict a huge revival of the 'shopper trolley' (favoured by grannies everywhere) in coming months, with each shop bringing out their own branded version. Read on for more shopping portage solutions...
[Via New Consumer]Onya bags are a neat little idea that come from the pac-a-mac school of thought. Rolled up in their pouches, they fit into your handbag, pocket or even on a keyring, and since they're made from strong, stretchy parachute material, they hold a lot of shopping. They also come in a variety of funky colours. Check out the full range here.
If you want more of a designer shopping experience, Orla Kiely make shopper trolleys that are every bit as stylish as everything else they design. This one costs £200, and its wheels fold up so it can be carried.
If that seems excessive to you, why not go back to the roots of all this and get hold of the original TRAID 'bag for life' designed by Red or Dead founder Wayne Hemingway. It’s made from 100% natural jute fibre and costs £6.
