Cyprus warned again over plastic-bag usage

[Paphos Life]

Cyprus has infringed two EU directives and may face legal action for it if it does not take the necessary steps, the EU commission said on Wednesday....

Read the article and chat about it below...

[trevnhil]

We shop in a number of different stores in the Paphos area, and there is no restriction on the number of plastic carrier bag issued.
And of course in Cyprus, or at least the Paphos area, all the general rubbish is collected in Plastic sacks.


Trev..

[trevnhil]

Yes indeed, although the restriction is only on how many you want to BUY

Trev..

[Dominic]

Charging for bags was actually a huge success in the UK.

[PhotoLady]

Charging for bags was actually a huge success in the UK.

We still haven't got the hang of it...... even after 12 months back in UK. So difficult to have to always remember to take bags out with you, especially if you weren't actually planning on doing any shopping! That's what usually happens with us

[PW in Polemi]

We were so into the habit of taking a "bag of bags" with us for food shopping, that we've continued the habit here, much to the initial amusement (bemusement?) of the check-out staff. After umpteen years of us doing this here, they are mostly used to us and our "funny foreign" ways!

We've still ended up with a large carrier bag full of squashed down rolled up carrier bags - the smaller fruit'n'veg ones we recycle as toilet bin liners and others get re-used as and when we need a carrier bag, eg to take some of our surplus figs to friends or to take read books to one or other of the charity shops.

PhotoLady - my mother always has at least one folded-as-flat-as-possible carrier bag in her handbag (and very little else, unlike me !). As I presume you often carry a camera rather than a handbag, is there a space in your camera bag for a bag or two?

[lionelcyprus]

Yes indeed, although the restriction is only on how many you want to BUY

Trev..

Lidl - their policy did work in my case. On my second visit I remembered to take a large reuseable Sainsbury's bag I had packed in my suitcase, mainly as a protective layer! It came in useful. It is a pity all the Cyprus supermarkets didn't act together to charge for bags.

[PhotoLady]

PhotoLady - my mother always has at least one folded-as-flat-as-possible carrier bag in her handbag (and very little else, unlike me !). As I presume you often carry a camera rather than a handbag, is there a space in your camera bag for a bag or two?

I never carry a handbag....
And I only take my camera out if I know I'm on the lookout for something to photograph. If I don't have my camera, then I have my mobile as a rule. My phone and reading specs are the only things I can guarantee to take with me. But if they don't fit into my pockets of my sweatshirt or jeans - they don't go with me!
As for a camera bag, well no - I usually take only the carry case but sometimes I may slip my smaller lens into my pocket if I decide to go out with the zoom lens on. I make my decision which lens I'm going to use based on where our day out will take us.
I like to travel very light
And I hate shopping!

[trevnhil]

HIC, Lidl do sell plastic carrier bags..

Trev..

[Dominic]

The only way shops in Cyprus would charge for plastic bags is if government mandated it. No kiosk would want to risk upsetting it's customers, nor even the big supermarkets. This is Cyprus after all, not the UK...and different sentiments apply here.

The government mandated it in the UK. A lot of people were against it at the time, but it worked. And the reason that it worked was because it actually reminded people to use the bags they store in their bag drawer. Every time we went shopping, we could see ourselves automatically saving 5p, 10p, even 30p on a big shop. It was recycling where you could actually see a tangible benefit immediately, no matter how small.

Personally I was quite grumpy about the idea before it was introduced but soon became a fan, as, I said, it reminded me to use the bags I had been saving.

[cyprusmax47]

Personally I wouldn't be keen to see bags being charged for. I find it very frustrating on the odd occasions when I go to Lidl (often on the off-chance and out-of-the-blue) and have to cradle about a dozen items in my arms as I make my way back to the car.

My wife might remember to take bags and cool-bags with her when she goes shopping, but I never do...far too many other things on my mind

As I shop most of my stuff in Lidl I fill up the large trolley and return back to the car where I unpack into either the cool box or a huge plastic container without using any plastic-bag. Of course except fruit and vegis into the tiny plastic-bags which I reuse at home, freezing bread, breadrolls and croisants with them.
But must say I have every week a huge amount of plastic packing and bottles for the recycling point at Armou.

Max

[trevnhil]

You have a recycling point !!!! Wow, we are lucky to have a large green bin... on it's last legs, split from top to bottom, and no lid of course..

Trev..

[trevnhil]

Exactly.. I didn't know you lived in Polemi

Trev..

[cyprusmax47]

You have a recycling point !!!! Wow, we are lucky to have a large green bin... on it's last legs, split from top to bottom, and no lid of course..

Trev..

I have to drive 6 km to that point at Armou but must say the municipal administration looks after the place very well. No mess around. There are 4 bins for plastic etc, 2 for paper, 1 for glass, all in working order with the lid always closed. It is also used from people living at Marathounda.
Max