A journey to rid my life of plastic - One step at a time/ Week 4

My journey has been on hold due to a trip to England and Scotland. There are many reasons to love going to other countries, but I made a note to pay attention to - you guessed it - plastic bags. The Europeans always seem to be ahead of the United States when it comes to making the world a better place. I have never understood why this is, but in general Europe is more liberal and therefore tends to be more thoughtful about important social issues such as health care, education and the environment. The last one depends a lot on where you are. We were visiting friends who live in the North Yorshire Moors National Park and they confirmed that free plastic bags had long been a thing of the past. If you want a bag, you pay for it, which of course prompts people to bring their own. It is that simple. Some people carry on paying for bags, but most people like to save a little whenever possible. In New York State we have just passed a plastic bag ban which I am thrilled to see. Now that I am back, I will refocus my efforts to find alternative packaging for those everyday things we buy for the household. Stay tuned.

Edinburgh, Scotland, Victoria Lane