A bag is a bag is a bag

This is definitely the week for rants. By george the British haven't stopped during this heat wave the city is currently experiencing - and as a good friend told me the other day, if you can't beat them - join them.

My particular rant today stems back to my environmentalist roots. I'm absolutely GOBSMACKED at the lack of recycling, the indecent amount of packaging surrounding your purchases and the sheer volume of plastic carry bags dished out willy-nilly whenever you buy something - even if it's just one can of drink!

Of course I refuse a carry bag wherever humanly possible but I'm seriously thinking of starting some sort of email campaign to get London to think green. Obviously email is the best tool for this kind of campaign as it has a far greater potential to reach the wider community (due to people not being able to keep off the 'Forward' button) and it eradicates the use of paper (unless you are one of those imbecile that prints out every email you receive to read it, and then throw it in the general waste rather than the recycle bin).

I have two examples of London Environmental Blasphemy I'd like to share with you today, both incidents occurred during my lunch break.

1) I had to buy a bag to replace my recently departed and at the point of purchase, the chick put the new bag into a plastic carry bag... No need for me to continue with this one - I'm sure you can join the dots and figure out my response for yourselves!

2) There is a lovely little cafe/ takeaway chain called Eat in Soho Square who dish up some decent salads - but they are covered in the thickest plastic containers which makes me a little sad to begin with. I go up to purchase one and they go to put it in a friggin paper BAG, along with not 1, not 2 - but 3 serviettes - and a plastic fork... I asked them to take it out of the paper bag, and told them 1 serviette would be ample, and that I didn't need a fork as I would be taking it up to the office where I could use proper cutlery that could be washed and reused again and again.

I shouldn't be too harsh on either of these establishments individually - as it is just common practice in London. But I think I've been pushed to my limits and I really have to take some action.

Any of my old Village mates would know how fussy I was about recycling in the office - I cry almost daily at some of the practices in the Fox office - or lack of I should say...

I feel much better getting that off my chest.

[/rant]

xxx