Plastic Bags BE GONE!!!

I've been visiting my parents in Toronto for the last week (hence the lack of postages). I haven't been back for just over a year and there are so many changes to take in and judge (I love judging!). Poor poor Toronto...under my scrutinising eye....watch out!

Actually, to be honest, there aren't many changes that I have seen that have made me go hmmmmmmmm. Last week David was here with me, and it was really nice to sort of see Toronto through his eyes. While it was a whirlwind tour to the nth degree, it was so funny to see him try to take it all in....just the enormity of everything here was overwhelming for him. Poor English David.

One of the nicest things that has come about since I was last visiting is the introduction of the 5 cent charge on plastic bags....ACROSS THE CITY!! When I was living in London, the neighbourhood I lived in tried to do something similar...but it was at the store's discretion. Here it is city wide...every store...all plastic bags...5 cents! I really think that it is wonderful, and as a visitor it is kinda cool seeing everyone strut down the street with their reusable/cotton/jute/hemp/recycled/rope bags.

Now, in Chelmsford David and I rarely use plastic bags anyway, we have our bag for life bags and use them regularly. However, I do use plastic bags from the grocery stores as bin liners for our garbage. My parents in Toronto do the same. Now they are buying rolls of bags for their city regulated compostable waste, as well as for their regular garbage. Granted, these bags are meant to be bio-degradable but they are being forced to buy them over recycling older carrier bags from the supermarkets. I know that not everyone is as savvy (or lets face it-as budget) as my parents (I learnt that behaviour from them) and so there is a need to encourage people to bring their own bags and then BUY plastic (possibly regulated) liners for the waste bins...

What I do know is that charging people for bags definitely makes you think twice about whether you need a bag or not, and as the charge is minimal if you are, indeed, caught out sans sac, you can afford the bag cost.

Along these lines and as housewife (on hiatus) I am so excited about my new purchase. Just today I bought this fabbo folding cloth and metal shopping basket from the friendly neighbourhood grocery chain. It is collapsible (perfect for squeezing into my suitcase) and the cloth baskety bit can be removed and washed in the washing machine....woooooowwwweeeeeeeee

OPEN

FOLDED

Can't wait to lug it back and forth from the market in Chelmsford! How chic! How stylish! How Eco! Not exactly Parisienne chic (think beautiful light wooden strip baskets for wandering in the market) but I think it is damn cute!