The question was: “Do you use your own shopping bags or the plastic bags provided by the shop?” The venue: outside Tesco’s on a sunny Tuesday morning. The aim: to find out how shoppers in Horncastle are responding to environmental issues of landfill and recycling.
Interestingly, the only person who stopped to talk to us who had her shopping in the Tesco’s plastic bags was the Mayor – Sandra Wardman, and even she said that normally she brings her own shopper but had forgotten that day. One man had his in boxes, many people were using the “Big Green shopping Bags” sold by Tesco’s and others were sporting calico, canvas or recycled plastic bags.
Avril Schofield from Langton Hill told us that she had just visited France where, in every supermarket, it is the height of chic to have a patterned shopping trolley. Horncastle of course has lots of these but mainly being pushed by independent ladies of a certain age rather than yuppie eco-warriors.
Roland Mellors aged 84 is an octogenarian showing us all the way. He bicycles to Tesco’s from the Boston Road, storing his purchases in the bicycle basket.
One could conclude that Horncastle people scored high on the environmental front. Unfortunately there were others laden with plastic Tesco bags – but none of them had the time to talk to us. So it might be more accurate to say that to be an environmentalist you need time to stop and think.
Don’t forget Horncastle Transition Town’s ‘DANISH COFFEE MORNING’ at the Community Centre this Saturday to find out how to combat Climate Change. For more details ring Laura on 525802 or visit transitionhorncastle.org.uk.
