Meanwhile, if you really want to play your part in sparing the landfills and the environment from millions of discarded plastic bags – and, in some cases, make a meaningful contribution to a worthy cause – invest in a sturdy, non-plastic shopping bag.
We’re spoilt for choice:
* Pick n Pay’s “green” bags come in a variety of colours, and R1 from the sale of each one goes to the company’s Kids in Parks programme, which has allowed more than 30 000 children to visit our national parks.
The company has also partnered with the Township bag enterprise which sees between 60 and 80 women working in seven co-operatives in Cape Town townships, producing the limited-edition bags.
* Spar sells a “huge” range of eco bags in its stores countrywide.
* The Shoprite Group currently sells a R1.50 durable brown paper bag in its Western Cape stores and will be rolling this out nationally if shoppers take to it. It can hold up to 12kg and is also suitable for damp items such as milk sachets and frozen goods.
* Woolworths has produced a range of R29.95 sturdy carrier bags in response to SA’s environmental threats, with R10 from each sale being donated to various causes:
Save the Painted Dog: R450 000 donated to the African Painted Dog conservation, led by the Wildlife ACT Fund.
Save the Cheetah bag: R420 000 raised so far for cheetah conservation, led by the Wildlife ACT Fund.
Save the Rhino bag: 100 000 bags sold since September 2010, with a donation of R1m having been made towards the purchase of anti-poaching equipment.
The new Rhino Bag, launched last month, will see R10 of every sale donated to the Wildlife ACT fund to support a project aimed at boosting the population growth of black rhino in SA.