Supermarkets must make changes
At the fruit and veg shop on Amble’s Queen St
Some of you may have seen video footage of 40 anti-plastic campaigners in a Tesco store near Bristol. They bought their shopping then removed all of the plastic to demonstrate the amount of unnecessary packaging there is on fruit and veg.
While it doesn’t get rid of the problem, it sends out a message to big supermarkets that many people really do care about the environment.
We are currently facing a crisis where there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050.
Everyone is responsible, as it’s not just littering which has caused this problem, but the way we have chosen to live as a society.
Almost everything has changed to plastic, including tampon applicators, which are now routinely washing up on our local beaches. Not a pretty sight. We need to put pressure on big companies and supermarkets to help us change for a better future.
It won’t be an easy task. When I recently tried to do a Plastic-Free shop in Sainsbury’s, it quickly became clear it was virtually impossible. I came home with a frozen salmon wellington in cardboard.
I left as much plastic at the till as I could, and I filled out a complaint card about the fact that loose fruit and veg were more expensive than the plastic wrapped ones. Where is the incentive to help the environment, if it’s more expensive to buy loose items? I did not get a response to my complaint.
Until loose items are cheaper and more widely available, I’m choosing to do most of my shopping on Amble Queen Street. The greengrocers has a fantastic choice of items and an even better choice of herbs and spices than most supermarkets. The prices are good too. Amble Butchers will fill a box for me without plastic trays and plastic bags.
We’ve noticed a huge reduction in our household waste already, and we’ve noticed our mince actually browns in the frying pan, rather than boiling in its own water content! If you have the time, next time you shop, please think about how you could reduce the amount of plastic you take home. In true Tesco style ‘Every Little Helps’.
Please support us and join us to help clean up our beaches, countryside and oceans.
We can be found on Facebook under LitterBugs or you can e-mail us on; litterbugsnorthumberland@gmail.com
Lynne Russell
Yay! Go Lynne! Xx