Another Village Is Plastic-bag Free Zone
by Bonnie Alter, London 
on 06.18.08
Modbury was the first town in England to become a plastic-bag free zone and now Kew, a picturesque village in London, is joining the club. As a result of a local, high-profile campaign by the likes of Zac Goldsmith (founder of Ecologist magazine and local Conservative candidate), 50 local shops, including the Royal Botanical Gardens, have agreed to give up giving out plastic carrier bags as of July 1. Instead a cornstarch, biodegradable bag that is fully compostable will be made available for a small charge. Nice cotton shopping bags will also be available. In the meantime, a fridge magnet (hmmmmm) is being given out as a reminder to bring your own bag--sure to become a local collector's item.
To the fury and disappointment of campaigners, Tesco, the much-reviled supermarket giant, had originally refused to take part in the scheme, saying that it was against company policy. This is despite Tesco's great claims that it is a leader in becoming more environmentally conscious. This week they gave in and agreed to keep plastic bags "under the counter" and only give them to customers who specifically ask for them. The village's designation is an important step because plastic bags floating in the sea threaten the lives of dolphins, whales and fish. The UK alone uses 15 billion bags a year. Hopefully other villages will follow Kew's lead. :: Evening Standard
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Arlington, Texas appears to be jumping on this bandwagon too: http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/626324.html
So I've asked this on other posts, and no-one had any suggestions. I don't take plastic bags from shops anymore, and have finally got to the point where I have none left at home. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to use in my bin? Buying plastic bin bags would seem to defeat the point. I live in Toronto where they have a pretty good system - recycling and compostables get separated out. However, there are still things that can't go in either of those, so I do need a small amount of normal bin bags. So, any suggestions please?
I'm wondering why Hefty or Glad trashbag companies haven't started designing and marketing biodegradable cornstarch garbage bags. Maybe they have and I'm just clueless, or maybe they haven't found how to make them as strong as their more popular bags... or maybe we just haven't gotten on their case enough yet?
There are biodegradable bags you can buy- just do a little google searching. They tend to be thinner and a little weaker than regular plastic, though, so be careful how much you put in their. Also, they don't hold liquids as well. Still, I use them and like them
Hi there - really great that you've publicised this for Kew. However Tesco haven't completely given in. They just agreed to do what they have with other campaigners in the UK, ie not actively give them out. There's more about the whole campaign on my blog
http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2008/06/kew-not-quite-plastic-bag-free-tesco.html