Biodegradable plastic bags - the start of an enquiry

Dear All

You may be interested to know that Sustainable Oban have just sent off a letter to find out a bit more about Tesco's free biodegradable plastic carrier bags.

Here's the letter:

Tesco Customer Service
PO Box 73
Baird Avenue
Dryburgh Industrial Estate
Dundee
DD1 9NF

Dear Madam, dear Sir

Re: "Biodegradable" plastic carrier bags from Tesco Stores

In view of the upcoming UK PLASTIC-BAG FREE DAY on 12th September, we have noted with interest that Tesco Oban now give away "biodegradable" plastic bags.

Some of our members would be most interested to know a little more about the source and composition of these plastic bags.

We would also be interested to know whether Tesco Oban have managed to bring down the use of free plastic bags over the past year or so, and if so, by how much. It is our personal impression that the environs of Tesco Oban continue to be blighted by plastic refuse, either tossed away by customers or strewn about because the bins placed in various spots on the car park are not wind or gull proof.

Looking forward to receiving your comments, we remain
yours sincerely

Margaret Powell-Joss, Secretary

PS: This letter will also be posted on http://obanplasticbagfree.blogspot.com, where we will be happy to post your reply upon receipt.

Spread the word: one Oban shop has donated generously to charity

I would like to share this feedback received on 11th August from Gwyneth Neal at House & Home Oban. Very many thanks, Gwyneth, and congratulations on your imaginative scheme and generosity!

Dear Margaret
At House and Home in Oban we've been discouraging the use of plastic bags for almost
eighteen months. We always ask "Do you need a bag?" and never just hand out bags.
We also placed a charge of 10p on plastic carriers.
We don't keep the money but have a local charity nominated every month and leave a jar
on the counters to collect the money. We have given over £700 to various local charities, reduced our plastic usage by a half (to the point that the Edinburgh company we bought from has closed) and all in all feel we are doing our bit towards the environment.
We've been shouted at by regular customers who feel we've a cheek to charge for bags and
accused of trying to increase our profit with the charge but in the main most people are
willing to pay and we've found that more and more folk are coming in with their own bags.
Eighteen months has seen big changes. It would be good if all the shops did the same!
Regards
Gwyneth

12th September is fast approaching. Here's what YOU can do

Hello there

As you may know, 12th September is UK Plastic-Bag Free Day. May I suggest that each and every one of you respectfully ask at least one shopkeeper in your town not to give out any plastic bags on that day? You can do so by speaking to the shopkeeper, or by sending them a politely-worded letter, like this (please feel free to adapt). Very many thanks for your support.


(Sender's address)
(Date)

(Shopkeeper's name and address)

12th September 2009 is UK Plastic-Bag Free Day

Dear Madam, dear Sir
[better still: Dear (your shopkeeper's first name)]

As one of your regular customers and as someone who is interested in sustainable living and caring for our environment, I would like to ask you

not to give out any free "disposable" plastic bags on
Saturday, 12th September 2009.

Although the number of bags given out by Scottish supermarkets has been halved over the last three years, the UK is still among the countries with the highest consumption of "disposable" plastic bags. Such bags are not usually biodegradable and, when thrown away, blight the environment and maim and kill our birds and wildlife, especially sea creatures such as turtles, seals and dolphins. It is perhaps a less well-known fact that plastic detritus accumulates toxins which, when ingested by sea creatures, slowly make their way up the food chain. When they end up in the human body, they have all kinds of negative effects, not least on human fertility.

Thank you for helping us make the UK a plastic-bag free country.

Yours sincerely
(Your signature and name)


PS: For more information, visit http://obanplasticbagfree.blogspot.com/

BBC News: Supermarkets in Scotland cut bag use by nearly 50% in last 3 years

Hello

It's quite an impressive piece of brand-new news that I have just stumbled across:

"Supermarkets cut bag use by 50%
The number of plastic bags given to customers by Scottish supermarkets has almost halved in the last three years."

I quote further from the BBC page, which also has some impressive photos and is well worth visiting:

***
The number of plastic bags given to customers by Scottish supermarkets has almost halved in the last three years.

Seven supermarkets signed up to the voluntary Scottish Government scheme which aimed to reduce the number of bags given out by 50%.

This led to the equivalent of nearly 39 million fewer bags being used in May 2009 compared with May 2006 - a 49.4% reduction - new figures showed.

A similar scheme was later adopted across the whole of the UK.

The figures released by the Scottish Government and British Retail Consortium (BRC) showed the reduction in the number of bags handed out by Asda, the Co-operative Group, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Tesco and Waitrose in Scotland over the past three years.

[…]

*****

Mind you, the Oban cityscape is still blighted by far too many plastic bags strewn all over the place. So let's not get too smug, ok.

High time to talk rubbish

I just came across this item on the BBC Science page:

"It is time to start talking rubbish
A range of measures - some more popular than others - are needed if the UK is going to get on top of its waste problem."

I've long been shocked that huge amounts of waste go to landfill sites in this country. According to reliable sources, about six large lorries a day travel from Oban-Moleigh to Lochgilphead because the Oban landfill site is full. What a waste in every sense of the word!!!

***

Burying our rubbish in huge pits in the ground is no longer an option in the 21st Century, says Stuart Wardlaw. In this week's Green Room, he argues that a range of measures - some more popular than others - is needed if the UK is going to get on top of its waste problem.

Our consumer culture does nothing to help our overflowing landfills

Research reveals that Britain is still considered the "dustbin of Europe" because it is still dumping more household waste into landfill than any other EU nation.

It threw away a staggering 22.6 million tonnes of rubbish in 2004/5; in fact, Britain sent the same amount to landfill as the 18 EU countries with the lowest landfill rates combined, despite these places having twice the population of the UK.

Britain's failure to invest in the more sustainable waste management practices based on the three Rs - re-use, recycle and recovery - has lead to an excessive dependence on landfill.

But these days are fast disappearing.

Planning and environmental permitting of landfills has been made significantly tougher with the aim of better controlling their environmental impacts.

However, this has substantially reduced the availability of suitable sites. If you compare this to our disproportionately large population to land mass ratio then, put simply, we are running out of space to dump our waste.

As a result, we may face a landfill shortage within the decade, according to the Local Government Association.

[…]

*****

Surfers Against Sewage Petition No. 10 to Implement Marine Litter Strategy

Hiya again

In a roundabout fashion, I happened on the following petition submitted to No. 10 Downing Street, i.e. Britain's Prime Minister, to Implement a Marine Litter Strategy and assign a suitable and credible body to tackle this worsening problem.

Your Oban Plastic Bag Free! blogger would like to encourage you to join the crowds and sign the petition on-line. It's painless and quick, and may make a difference eventually.

Deadline to sign up by: 01 March 2010

From the Petitioner's explanations:

"Volumes of marine litter are dramatically increasing year after year. Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has successful marine litter campaigns targeting manufacturers, mobilising large-scale grass roots direct action and increasing public awareness on this ever-worsening problem. However, with each new high tide comes a new marine litter line impacting on our beloved beaches and surf spots.

"Current anti-litter legislation such as The Environmental Protection Act 1990, MARPOL and the Port Waste Reception Facilities regulations are not providing the levels of protection needed for the coastline.

"SAS believe that marine litter is coming from a wide variety of sources, including; beach users, sanitary related debris, industry, and fishing. SAS and other environmental NGOs have found that almost 70% of this litter is plastic. Plastics have a devastating impact on the marine environment over a long period, as well as economic impacts on local communities and the fishing industry.

"As an SAS supporter, I urge you to implement a National Marine Litter Strategy to combat this worsening issue and help protect our coastlines."

More and more reusable bags, fewer and fewer plastic bags

Hello again

It is heartening to see many, many more customers than even just a year ago bringing their own bags to do their shopping. Of course, until only just a few decades ago, that was the norm. How quickly we forget!

It is equally heartening to see more and more shops handing out fewer and fewer plastic bags, and turning to recyclable and/or fully biodegradable options in those cases where well-packaged goods require another layer, or customers did not bring their own bags.

And it is encouraging to notice how many shops charge for the bags they do hand out. Many of them do not use the money to pay for their overheads but donate it to a charity of their choice -- and we all know how charities and NGOs have suffered in this horrendous economic "downturn".

Nonetheless, a lot of plastic (and other) rubbish still blights the streets and shrubberies, garden fences, trees and vacant lots of Oban and its environs.

Please help keep Oban tidy. Sign the No More Trash

Litter Pledge:

I promise to do my part to make and keep Oban litter free.
I promise to keep my house, my garden and my town clean and free of trash.
I will throw my trash away and pick up trash when I see it.
I will tell my family and friends about No More Trash!

A suggestion for teachers: Adapt the pledge for your classroom.

A suggestion for the Council: Follow the example of Colchester Borough Council and erect anti-littering signs at gateways into Oban to prevent people from dropping their unwanted rubbish.