Brazil's love affair with plastic bags

18 plastic bags used

The supermarket is one of those places that is riddled with staff. One person at the til, one to collect the trollies that people scatter across the car park, one to stamp your ticket to receive free parking, one on rollerskates with change that the cashiers constantly run out of. 45 people to stock the shelves and block the aisles with pallets and empty boxes and stray clingfilm, a few cleaners to throw water all over the floor. People on the cheese counter, bakery, meat counter. A guy with microphone advertising the latest offers. A girl to store your bag or motorbike helmet while you shop. Promoters trying to sell individual products.

The other day I was in the queue, with 4 people attending one customer in front of me for 15 minutes without resolution. I was looked at with disgust when I started packing my own bags to speed up the process. No wonder people sink a couple of beers in the queue.

(In other shops you have the salesperson who then transfers you to the payment person, who then transfers you to the finance department to pay in installments, then you go to another person to collect the goods you've bought).

Key to this tale is the guy who packs your bags. It is below the customer to pack their own bags, or return the trolley to the trolley park. I've touched on this before, but I wanted to share my latest trip.

On this particular trip, I spent the equivalent of £30. My goods were packed into, wait for it, 18 plastic bags. Eighteen. On top of the plastic bags that all fresh produce is put it (on this trip, 10 bags).

Here is a blow by blow account of a typical shopping trip, and what went into each bag (please forgive the brand advertising).

2 apples

300g box of cereal

3 bell peppers

Small amounts of individually packaged deli produce

1 avocado, 5 limes

1kg bag of rice

One melon

1.5l bottle of water

3 bars of soap

2 x 1 litre of milk

Some bread

1 medium sized bag of crisps

260g jar of corn

3 carrots, 1 garlic bulb and a red onion

A small pot of chewing gum

Potatoes and beetroot (I must have packed this one)

Some bread

Herbs and spices

I am not going to indulge in the environmental consequences of this, as we all know them. But I remain shocked at the unnecessary waste. Aside from the environmental impacts, it's actually, simply, annoying, to have to carry so many small bags, and to unpack everything from individual bags. And it takes the bagging guy longer to bag your things, which creates longer queues, which means people drink more beer in the queue. Perhaps it's all a ploy by the beer companies.