Green is my new favorite colour

So, new year, new me and with this in mind off I went to the sales. Well I say ‘the sales’ but when the only two items you buy are full price then I’m, sure this counts as everyday clothes shopping. I was armed with my two beautiful new shopping bags that fold down into handy pouches and was determined not to collect a single plastic bag. Easy mission I hear you cry!! Ah, think again. Flaming hard mission I can tell you.

Now we all know that plastic is bad news for the environment and some retail stores have moved to paper bags. Fine in Summer, not so good on a rain drenched Newcastle highstreet.  Hence my eagerness to use my new bags for life. First stop was Superdrug: now although they still use plastic they do charge you two pence per bag. I felt rather smug as I informed the sales assistant that I had my own and prompty unfolded my bag.  Easy peasy this bag lark and on the way I collect green karma points for my soul.

Marks and Spencer and  John Lewis followed much the same pattern and another plus is you also prevent yourself being loaded down with bags of all different shapes and sizes. However my smugness faltered and my cool was tested in Wallis. I’d chosed two beautiful (but full price) jumper dresses and approached the till to pay for my wares. As the assistant went to bag my dresses I told her not to bother as I had my own. With a blink and a frown she told me to enter my pin and while my attention was elsewhere snuck my dresses into a plastic bag. No I said, I have my own.  But they might click she said. But it’s the chance I’ll take I said. And here was the plastic bag standoff.

Now my dilemma was do I look like an idiot and argue with the assistant removing my garments from said plastic into fabric bag. Or do I take plastic and deposit plastic bag containing dressing into fabric bag? Well one look at her perfectly plucked eyebrow lined steely gaze had me reaching for the plastic faster than you can say ‘helloecoliving’!! And with that I slunk of of the shop along with my rapidly diminishing green karma points.

So the moral of my story is a) don’t be so bloody smug about your bag for life, b) get your bag out before approaching the till and c) get your mits on the items before the shop assistant does!!