11/11/2019

A touch of nostalgia

In case you haven't heard, the government of tiny New Zealand is setting an example for the world by banning single-use plastic bags.

You know, those that we invented so that we can save the forest.

In their place, we now have cloth-like reusable bags and paper bags with little string handles like this.

Well, today Hubby stopped by the store after work and brought things home in a few of the paper bags. [Yes, we have many of the other kind but, of course, forget to put them back in the car!]

Anyway....

As I was folding the bags up after everything was put away, I had a
nostalgia attack.

I was taken back to grade school when we covered our books with shopping bags to keep them clean. Each year, I really enjoyed getting out the scissors and folding the paper just right!

Ah, those were the days....

12 comments:

diane b said...

I remember those days too. Well done to tiny NZ they are often the world leaders in progress. My daughter has just gone there for a 10 day holiday trekking.

gz said...

Wales and Scotland did this well before England, and all three countries have seen a massive reduction in plastic use.
We already have bags from our last NZ visit. New World stopped single use bags at the beginning of 2019 I think..we will be packing our shopping bags in the cases to travel !

local alien said...

I remember those days too. We used left over wall paper too, all glued down.
Bravo NZ. A front runner as usual

kiwikid said...

Well done NZ!! Our local supermarket has been using those bags for over a year now, we have been well trained and take our own. Some of the bigger supermarket chains provide bags you can buy and re use, but they are plastic, not sure how that helps!! I remember covering books with brown paper too 😁.

Little Wandering Wren said...

There is still something special about a brown paper bag isn't there? For me too, I think it is all the endless possibilities to draw on the outside of it!
Wren x

Linda said...

Good for New Zealand. We got along fine before plastic containers were ubiquitous.

Kenneth Cole Schneider said...

I also remember cutting up those brown paper bags for school book covers. The books were recycled as well. Today our grandchildren must purchase all their books. We now have a supply of very durable large bags which we have used for years when doing our major shopping.

Anita said...

Count me in as a youngster who used brown paper bags for book covers, too!

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I too remember cutting up old bags to make book covers. Seems to me we used them for other crafts too, but I can't remember what. And kudos to NZ for banning plastic.

Tanza Erlambang said...

glad to hear NZ banning plastic...cool

kwarkito said...

oh yez i remeber that time we cover books. I do it again sometimes...

Penelope Notes said...

The paper bag is a great solution. Actually, very long ago before we had so much plastic, the bag NZ now has looks much like what all the shops provided to their customers. At that time, some folks worried paper bags were in part responsible for the destruction of trees.