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| New World Regent Supermarket - I can take mesh bags for produce here. |
This New World supermarket had attempted to go plastic bag free some time back, by encouraging people to bring their own shopping bags and charging for plastic bags. It failed after one week - they returned to supplying bags as customers threatened to change supermarkets.
The comment that changed things, was the suggestion to reward customers who brought their own bags instead. Now the supermarket gives a click on a card towards a free coffee with every $20 spent to customers who have their own bags. Since they started this (about 3 months ago) they have purchased 10,000 less bags to use - and it is really noticeable now at the checkouts how many more people bring their own bags.
Doesn't that just show how much change one person can bring about.
A Revelation
After buying a few tamarillo trees and having them die before fruiting (they are a bit fragile and prone to doing that). I proudly told my sister in Australia that we were at last picking tamarillos. Her response was that they have picked about 180 of them and were giving them away everywhere. Tamarillos were $12/ kilo in the supermarket today, so that would have been welcomed I'm sure. The trees sell for about $15 each here, but my brother-in-law had grown his from a single fruit. Duh - why was I buying trees???
So now I have about 100 seedling trees to plant and give away. I'm going to grow a forest of them. All I did was spread the seeds from the fruit onto a paper towel to dry, then planted them all. Next stop - kiwifruit from seed.
Tamarillos are great to eat raw or in baking, but also make terrific jams and chutneys and can be used in savoury dishes as you would a tomato.
I wouldn't try growing all fruit trees from seed, as some take ages and benefit from good root stock, but tamarillos grow quickly and are fairly short lived.
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| tamarillo fruit |
It's great that the amount of plastic has been reduced by this initiative, but what annoys me about our modern mentality is that a lot of people seem to need something in exchange for something. Why can't the majority want to embrace plastic free without something in return, the irony being that they are getting a gift tenfold in value to a free coffee, that being a healthier planet. I suppose they are getting their coffe in disposable cups too. Oh I sound like a pessimist in this comment, but I just want to shake people's attitudes sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThat was exactly what I thought too Cheryl. I refuse the coffee card too.
DeleteGood on you! Sorry for my rant, the world gives me the pips sometimes!
DeleteYou have such interesting plants away down there! I have never heard of tamarillos much less tasted one. I am so excited to have a banana tree at my new home. I am wondering if it is so small because it is growing in such a shaded spot. I will have to google that.
ReplyDeleteI've just discovered your blog and am enjoying reading through previous posts. This one really resonated because it was only yesterday that I was standing in front of the produce, in the organic section of a major supermarket here in Australia, where every single fruit/veg was wrapped in plastic and many were sitting on styrofoam trays as well. Many styrofoam trays and plastic bags encased the conventional fruit/veg as well. Where is the choice in that? I chose to walk away. Disgusted. Glad to spend my $ somewhere else that at least gives me option of bringing my own bags. Perhaps, if more and more people walked away, the power of those lost $ might bring about change as that's when supermarkets and the like take notice.
ReplyDeleteSo pleased to have you visit and comment Meg. Maybe make sure they know you have walked away by leaving them a message on their web page. It is so disappointing to see isn't it, when there is absolutely no need for it. I am lucky in that my supermarket people have been supportive of me using my own produce bags too.
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