“No i think you should have to bring your own bag, in fact it doesn't need to be a bag, it could be a bucket or a hankie tied on the end of a pole or one of those things you carry bricks with. Personally my receptacle of choice would have to be...i don't know...a sock?”

“lol!!!

Yes I think they should go to paper, like the yanks have - and if you don't like it, bring your own.”

“yes a combination of both - Paper bag - or bring your own or buy a BFL.”

“Sounds like a false dichotomy. Why would you necessarily assume paper bags are more environmentally friendly? You need to think about the whole end to end life-cycle rather than just which one composts more easily.

A couple of useful links here (both with references):

http://tinyurl.com/8hv6ttd

http://tinyurl.com/c3bfudk

The answer to which is better, as Mac said, is neither. Take your own when you go shopping.

Which reminds me, must dash to the chemist to get something for my athletes hand.”

“Very true, but you can use your brown bags to re-use them again.”

“No. Just take your own receptacle, as Macmonkey says, it can be anything, just make sure it is something that can be used over and over again rather than the 'throwaway' mentality.”

“I feel we need to find out more about what to make bags from and re-use bags more. Plastic bags are not the way forward.”

“Paper bags are usless! When they get wet they just get soggy and split!

Plastic bags need to be doubled when you caryy heacy things, they split too!

Free quality bags is the answer.”

“by City_C10

Friday, September 28 2012, 1:16PM

"I feel we need to find out more about what to make bags from and re-use bags more. Plastic bags are not the way forward."

Excellent idea, why don't you run with that. Maybe get together with MartinLFE and DavidJCB, allocate responsibilities, pull together your findings and recommendations and report back (maybe with some powerpoint slides - but no animations please). Is a week long enough?”

“So no one has made any bags from Hemp aleady then?”

“Not sure what I have to do with this JayBe11? Do you want to see more or less plastic bags or not?”

“I would like to see more paper bags, than plastic ones if I am honest.”

“Sounds an interesting idea, paper vs plastic?”

“I think brown paper bags which is better from plastic bags.”

“Pelicans. You can't get more organic than that and with their beak capacity you'd probably get the equivalent of two bags for life's worth of shopping inside.

Just don't buy fish.”

“even better MacMonkey - train the pelicans like carrier pigeons then they can deliver as well!!”

“I like it oh_come_on, I was going to suggest kangaroos but all that bouncing...the shops would go bankrupt replacing all those spoiled goods.”

“Its clear - ban all bags andpeople will bring their own. I make fabric bags out of old curtains/duvet covers anything really and they work really well. Can just throw them in the machine if they get muddy etc. And need to ditch those thin plastic veg bags too - why on earth people put e.g. a banana in one is beyond me...its got its own skin!!! or onions. or any veg for that matter. apart from the little stuff like sprouts. mmmmm sprouts roll on winter!”

“I like it also Mac & Oh-come-on a very good idea by you both”

“eh? well i am not sure i think we need some new science in bags x”