Colombia seems to have an obsession with plastic bags. Whether it is within the home where any open packet of food is tightly wrapped up in a plastic bag, or the customs that occur in supermarkets where they often double bag certain items for no apparent reason and separate them from the rest of the shopping. Apparently fresh items cannot be in contact with non-fresh items, nor food items with non-food items. So you can imagine on a weekly shop how much plastic is used! Also, if you buy just one item, they will put it in a tiny plastic bag and automatically tie knots in it quicker than you can utter 'I don't need a bag'! I understand wrapping things up tightly that are going to be outside as there are ants and little insects that can get in and nibble on them, but wrapping all packets in an extra plastic bag in the fridge seems a little excessive to me! I would put money on every Colombian household having a collection of mostly very tiny plastic bags for use in this way, and certainly a huge collection of regular plastic bags from any shopping trip.
A good thing relating to plastic bags here is that you can buy water, milk and other drinks in a plastic bag rather than a bottle. This saves a lot of plastic and is so logical to me in environmental and economic terms. I know that milk in a bag is slowly coming to the West, but I am impressed to see it so widespread and normal here. You can't find milk in a bottle! Milk companies are starting to up their game here too, so that you don't need to buy a plastic holder to put your giant milk bag in to pour it. I got a little overexcited when I saw the newest invention (the red bag below), which has clever air bubbles creating a sort of handle.
What would be great is a little more awareness of the environmental impact of using so many plastic bags in supermarkets so that it doesn't overshadow the positive effects of the drinks in plastic bags that are currently used. Although I get the impression that this is less an environmentally-focused design, and more a profit-based idea to save money in production. Then again, supermarkets could think along these lines and save money by not having to produce as many plastic bags. I am starting a one-woman revolution and refusing plastic bags whenever I can, even though I get funny looks when I do so. Not sure whether I will be able to single-handedly change the obsession but you have to start somewhere!
A good thing relating to plastic bags here is that you can buy water, milk and other drinks in a plastic bag rather than a bottle. This saves a lot of plastic and is so logical to me in environmental and economic terms. I know that milk in a bag is slowly coming to the West, but I am impressed to see it so widespread and normal here. You can't find milk in a bottle! Milk companies are starting to up their game here too, so that you don't need to buy a plastic holder to put your giant milk bag in to pour it. I got a little overexcited when I saw the newest invention (the red bag below), which has clever air bubbles creating a sort of handle.
What would be great is a little more awareness of the environmental impact of using so many plastic bags in supermarkets so that it doesn't overshadow the positive effects of the drinks in plastic bags that are currently used. Although I get the impression that this is less an environmentally-focused design, and more a profit-based idea to save money in production. Then again, supermarkets could think along these lines and save money by not having to produce as many plastic bags. I am starting a one-woman revolution and refusing plastic bags whenever I can, even though I get funny looks when I do so. Not sure whether I will be able to single-handedly change the obsession but you have to start somewhere!
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