Mark 4

The takeaway came in a plastic bag. Is there anyway of walking a chinese home without plastic bags? They seem reluctant to give boxes unless you have ordered a lot/is delivered to door.

plastic bag count to date: 4

need to keep these 4 with me to use for the rest of the month...

Mark 3

the problem i have realised that i have is three-fold:
1) my wild assumption that it is the shops responsbility to provide a means for me to get my goods home.
2) my general transportation methods are very varied - usually walking, bus, train or car (in that order)
3) spontantious purchases that catch me out - (last minute puchases for dinner on the walk home from work etc.)

i like the suggestion from jenny of keeping carrier bags in the boot of the car and i think i will start doing that. When not in the car i need to be conscious of having some form of bag with me before leaving the house.

I do believe in recycling carrier bags but I also want to try and stop needing them at all as it takes needless energy to make them and energy to recyle them too. becky says there's some kind of fold down long-lasting shopping bag that you can buy and keep with you when you go out. I will experiment with this option too.

Plastic carrier bag count: 3

Mark 2

Reduction in plastic carrier bag waste has so far been generally successfull. This is mainly due to staying away from shops completely, although that approach is not going to be sustainable...

Main downfall to date was popping out for emergency supplies when Becky was ill - she had requested medicine and a numer of lemons (what is a collection of Lemons - is it a bunch or herd?) and when i got to the co-op i realised i wasn't going to be able to carry everything including 8 lemons in my pockets/hands (although i did consider it), so i succumbed to a plastic bag. Felt bad as this was only day 1. What i needed was to have taken a bag with me, a trick i need to master.

Plastic bag count to date: 2

Mark 1

well, my commitment is:

- to attempt to reduce the amount of waste in our household by minimising the number of carrier bags i accumulate whenever i buy anything.

recycling them is possible i know, but i am trying to stop getting them in the first place. This is harder than you may think, as Alistair has already stated - it's all about planning, fore-thought and being prepared (having other bags with you if you go to the shops, thinking about what you are going to buy and making prior arrangements in your mind for how they will be transported home etc etc!!)

progress on the first week to follow...