Packaging!   I hate it.  The residual mound of throw away cardboard, ribbon, and other bits can quite spoil a shopping trip.  I have a hoard of beautiful designer carrier bags - which might become antiques!!  A bathroom cupboard full of pretty pots and bottles I cannot bear to consign to the bin -which might just be useful for travel.  And a larder stocked with jars that might by handy for, well,  something.

I regularly ask shops to keep shoe boxes,  take back hangers to the dry cleaners,  buy loose vegetables,  and constantly forgo plastic carriers.  I recently asked Marks & Spencers for a brown paper bag.  The lady on the till asked another; they concluded they had ‘a bag for life’,  but not a paper bag.  However,  the idea was a good one and they would pass it on in the staff suggestion scheme. 

A Channel 4 programme this week by Mark Constantine, founder of cosmetic store Lush, took up the overpackaging cause together with the Women’s Institute , who have it high on their campaign agenda.    Three interesting facts emerged.

1.  You can complain to local Trading Standards organizations about overpackaging - they will then take it up with the relevant company.

2.  Many companies don’t think customers are ready for ‘naked’ goods,  and so don’t innovate ways of reducing packaging. 

3.  Packaging can bump up the price of goods threefold - you are literally throwing money in the bin.

I cannot be the only package hater !  I don’t particularly want to complain to Trading Standards - smacks of big brother.  So maybe  companies should do a syndicted consumer research study on packaging and innovate a little less waste!  I suspect a tipping point is gathering momentum - particularly in the light of issues with rubbish collections!!!