Change in law banning pre-packed fruit and vegetables at supermarkets - WTAF

[Chilli.s]

Hellmann's and Marmite

Say it aint so

They are on the essentials list

 

[polly]

We have a couple of refill shops near me but they work out more expensive than buying packets.
Why?? Is it because it’s middle class or something?
Why am I paying a premium to make the extra effort to go the extra mile (literally…) to the Extra-shop that charges me extra for being able to package up my own nuts and honey ? And why is there no tommy K or white sugar? Why is it all hippy food?
The whole thing is gimmicky when it ought to be standard practice, or at the very least a realistic alternative to more normal shopping.

I really hate refill shops and you've explained why in a nutshell.

Also: everything is always stale.

In big French supermarkets (no doubt just as evil as ours but) there are refill sections where you can buy most dry goods, from the hippie stuff all the way through to Frosties. Not sure that's the answer either but at least it doesn't make it some preserve of people who live in or near posh or gentrified areas!

 

[skyscraper101]

Is milk in bags still a thing? I remember there being a lot of hoo ha about it a few years ago as a potentially less wasteful alternative to plastic bottles, and seeing them out in the wild but I haven't seen any for ages.

 

[gentlegreen]

Blimey I now remember the local baker's in the 60s that sold loose biscuits - I think we sometimes had broken ones and I can remember my parents freshening them up in the oven...

 

[belboid]

Also, recycling is not the answer and not having the plastic packaging in the first place is much better, but just in case anyone doesn't know, you can take your soft plastics (film, bubble wrap etc) to most supermarkets now for recycling. There's usually some kind of receptacle in the doorway. We've been doing this for about a year and it is an immense amount of plastic. We hardly ever put our landfill bin out now.

I (mostly) agree. However soft plastics recycling is awful and even harmful. There are very very few places which actually does it, and they can only recycle a percentage of that they get in. About 5% of the particulates created (iirr) are also released into the wider atmosphere and, being so bloody tiny, are easily breathed in. There has been a significant increase in respiratory problems near the recycling centres. That's if the stuff even gets there, most gets dumped. A study last year followed two plastic bags that were placed into Tesco’s soft plastic take-back box by using tracking devices. One ended up at an incinerator in Poland, the other at an industrial estate in Turkey

Greenwashing at its worst. Don't do it.

 

[mentalchik]

We sell it at brockwell. Put it in jugs of water and it still wilts within the hour.

I'll certainly be happy to not have to buy a bag of more than I need when the loose stuff runs out 10 mins after the store opens. Many things I'll put straight in my basket but with eg sprouts you still end up with a plastic bag.

I remember reading something about how many millions fewer 'one use' plastic bags were used after being replaced with bigger, thicker 'bags for life' but no mention of how many bags for life people were getting. How much actual reduction there was. I use old shopping bags for landfill bins so use more plastic than I used to. The nylon bags for life I've been using for many years never seem to last more than a few months before they're knackered or lost these days either.

Well we sell absolutely shit loads of bags for life....although quite a number of people do bring their own we still have large numbers of people that buy endless amounts of plastic bags. Younger people are some of the worst for it....we are near a uni and the students don'r appear to be able to carry even one or two items......when we occasionally don't have any (delivery fails for instance) it causes loads of aggro and aggression !

 

[polly]

I (mostly) agree. However soft plastics recycling is awful and even harmful. There are very very few places which actually does it, and they can only recycle a percentage of that they get in. About 5% of the particulates created (iirr) are also released into the wider atmosphere and, being so bloody tiny, are easily breathed in. There has been a significant increase in respiratory problems near the recycling centres. That's if the stuff even gets there, most gets dumped. A study last year followed two plastic bags that were placed into Tesco’s soft plastic take-back box by using tracking devices. One ended up at an incinerator in Poland, the other at an industrial estate in Turkey

Greenwashing at its worst. Don't do it.

Ugh. I am always sceptical of both sides tbh as I've heard so much misinformation about recycling over the last few years. I did hear about the tracking device thing but was assured that tesco had since upped their game. But I will look into this. Thanks.

 

[gentlegreen]

The thing that amazes me locally is that I am literally the only person I ever see using Ikea totes to carry my shopping - and I constantly see people buying heavy-duty carriers from the staff at the scab tills - I wonder how many actually get reused...
The only "bag for life" I ever owned was the one I used at work to carry my towel and stuff to the executive washroom in the days when I actually had a stand-up wash when I arrived...

 

[Artaxerxes]

I really hate refill shops and you've explained why in a nutshell.

Also: everything is always stale.

In big French supermarkets (no doubt just as evil as ours but) there are refill sections where you can buy most dry goods, from the hippie stuff all the way through to Frosties. Not sure that's the answer either but at least it doesn't make it some preserve of people who live in or near posh or gentrified areas!

They are very much artisanal/health goods shops in disguise

 

[existentialist]

Say it aint so

They are on the essentials list

It is so. I have half a jar of Super U Dijon mustard mayonnaise, but after that it's time to look for alternatives.

And I am told that Lidl or Aldi "yeast extract" passes muster, so when my Marmite runs out, I'll be investigating.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

and I constantly see people buying heavy-duty carriers from the staff at the scab tills - I wonder how many actually get reused...

my regular one has got 2012 olympics branding on it...

 

[existentialist]

my regular one has got 2012 olympics branding on it...

I used to get loads when I was in France. Where they were generally cheaper - 1€.

And, for sheer devilment, I always try to use the "wrong" ones for whatever shop I'm in...

 

[gentlegreen]

They are very much artisanal/health goods shops in disguise

I have never been in the main one, but the local deli has some - a weird mix - coffee and snacks, vegan stuff AND cheese/charcuterie ... they have quite a few jars of coffee beans but the one time I was sufficiently desperate they were stale...

 

[8ball]

They'll be singing the praises of indoor plumbing next.

Dirty, dirty habit.

 

[Chilli.s]

It is so. I have half a jar of Super U Dijon mustard mayonnaise, but after that it's time to look for alternatives.

And I am told that Lidl or Aldi "yeast extract" passes muster, so when my Marmite runs out, I'll be investigating.

I think Lidl marmite was ok on my last test. I too will be reassigning and pretty sure hellmans isnt irreplaceable either

 

[WouldBe]

The main stumbling block (other than the gov's total reluctance to do anything that helps the planet) seems to be that the processors of other recyclables don't accept soft plastics because their machines can't tell the difference between soft plastics and paper.

There should be a different IR signature for paper and plastic.

I think what's needed are consistent interchangeable ranges of packaging that can be taken back and used again and again. Obvious place to start is with drinks.

Bring back milk bottles.

 

[nogojones]

I think Lidl marmite was ok on my last test. I too will be reassigning and pretty sure hellmans isnt irreplaceable either

The Lidl marmite is fine. Not quite as thick or sharp, but fine. It's also a lot cheaper.

 

[polly]

There should be a different IR signature for paper and plastic.

I'm only going by what the MRF told us and I no longer work in the job, but I don't think they use NIR to sort there. They made some changes so they could accept black and other dark coloured plastic and, afaik, those can't be sorted by NIR. But as I said I really don't know and am only passing on what I've been told. Possible they're making excuses but I don't really see why they would - they are the ones making money from it after all.

 

[WouldBe]

I'm only going by what the MRF told us and I no longer work in the job, but I don't think they use NIR to sort there. They made some changes so they could accept black and other dark coloured plastic and, afaik, those can't be sorted by NIR. But as I said I really don't know and am only passing on what I've been told. Possible they're making excuses but I don't really see why they would - they are the ones making money from it after all.

Wasn't having a go, I was just pointing out they should be able to tell the difference if they could be bothered.

 

[polly]

Wasn't having a go, I was just pointing out they should be able to tell the difference if they could be bothered.

Oh i didn't think you were! I trust the people who told me enough to think that it's not a lie, but maybe it's a case of them not wanting to invest in whatever they need to to accommodate it. Capitalism again!

Sorry if I sounded defensive. I absolutely am not on this subject!