Recyclable packaging

[glenniedragon]

Is it just me? watching the news just lately with all the kerfuffle of fortnightly rubbish/recycling collection it struck me.......why are the government/local government legislations all aimed at us the end consumer? we can only throw away that which we buy...so why are companies still allowed to produce packaging that is nonrecyclable/non compostable? even if the product you are selling is non-recyclable (such as plasters or pharmaceuticals) there is no excuse for the packaging.
We can set Health and safety legislations for product, the amount, weight, labelling all have Trading standards checking and testing...so surely the packaging would be easy to include into this schedule? Or am I missing something? just think how much landfill could be prevented from ever ending up in our trollies to start with, let alone our bins...

kind confused thoughts
Deb

[Martin]

I think you'll find it's all part of "feeding the machine".........there will be a strong packaging lobbying group in parliament who do their utmost to preserve their wasteful trade, they'll squeal that it will "cost jobs" if packaging is reduced.............
I can just remember a time when you had a mini milk churn which you had filled in the local dairy every day, and little local shops where everything was "loose" - sugar was dispensed in blue "sugar bags", and things like cheese and bacon weighed out and wrapped in paper - it would be so simple to "turn the clock back"..........
Unfortunately we are nowadays brainwashed into looking upon simple packaging as often denoting a poor quality product - I've seen loads of "bulk buy, weigh your own" shops go swiftly down the pan, probably because they look "cheap"

[SueSteve]

There used to be a shop in Brighton where you could buy loose, there were big tubs of sugar, flour, cereal, dried fruit etc.
When they closed I heard that it was due to Health and Safety, as the contents could be 'interfered with'!!

As for the simple goods and packaging!! I used to go for the cheaper equivalent of the goods, the shops own brand, as they had far less E this and E that and chemicals with long names in them!! e.g. a packet of crisps contained potatoes, fat and salt!! Biscuits contained flour, sugar, & fat!!
One thing I avoided though was the cheap flour, tasted really horrible!!

Today I tend to buy ingredients and make my own. I usually try to buy organic and/or fairtrade.

[Thomzo]

Well I finally have a milkman and they deliver in glass bottles which you put back out again

Only problem, I have so many uses for those plastic things, now what am I going to do when I need to freeze a liquid or make a plant tag?

Zoe

[Smooth Hound]

i was reading recently about a bio degradable cling film type thing, not sure how far they are with it, but i reckon it would be a good thing