My first attempt at zero waste shopping was a total failure. Me and my future husband decided we were going to try reducing our waste, first of all by reducing the amount of plastic we bring into our home. The first step was to make sure we had our reusable cloth bags with us when we wanted to buy something. Easier said than done. We found ourselves in the farmers market and with our bag in the car, in the parking lot. We decided we were not going to quit so we walked back to our car and took the bag. I felt so proud of myself just because I did a little bit of extra effort for something I believe in.
Back in the market I proudly asked a lady to weight me some tomatoes thinking that I would give her the bag to put them in it. When I looked up she had already placed them in a small disposable plastic bag. It really took me by surprise. I mumbled that I don’t want the bag and that she could just put them in the bag I was handing her. She did put them in there but with the plastic bag. I was so frustrated. I felt like such a looser. Then my fiancee tried to comfort me and I decided that I could use the bag the tomato lady gave me to put a salad in it since they always water the salad at the farmer’s market and they give it to me in a plastic bag anyway. At the salad stand I asked for two salads and I said that I have my own bag and she could put them in it. She said no it’s OK and very rapidly placed them in another plastic bag. P.S. How do you do with your salad? Isn’t it wet? Where do you put it?
With the plastic bag still in my hand we walked to a stand where they had strawberries to buy some for my lunch at work. I talked to C. about what quantity I should buy while the lady was kind of anxious to take my order. I ended up walking away with my strawberries in yet another plastic bag without even realizing or even asking her to use the bag I already had.
It is really alarming how rapidly people at the farmer’s market place your produce in a plastic bag now. They got so used to it. I remember that when I was young, one could not conceive to go to the farmer’s market without a stash of bags and the people there would expect you to give them your bags to fill them. Then some of the vendors started having those plastic bags but they would ask you to pay for them while the ones that didn’t have them would raise their voice at people coming to the market empty handed and expecting the farmers to have bags. Now all stands have a pile of small plastic bags and they pack everything they sell in those, not because they think it’s more hygienic or something but because it is more comfortable for the client. It is very common now to see people walking around the market with a few of those bags in hand with different produce in them.
The bigger problem is that people in Romania don’t seem to be interested in this problem. Actually they don’t see the problem, they don’t know it exists (and those who have heard of it think that it is not their problem, it doesn’t concern or effect them or that they don’t have the power to do anything). To be honest most of the people here are so poor that they have other kind of worries (if they have enough food – and where they can find the cheapest one (even if that isn’t really food) , if they have money to pay the bills). They care about themselves and how to survive the next day, week, etc. The fate of the earth does not concern them and I can’t say that I blame them. However I was really surprised when I told an older colleague of mine , one which has considerably more money then me (money that he deserves for the work he does) , about my experience in the market trying not to accept plastic bags and he replied: Why wouldn’t you take the plastic bag? It is free!
My Dream Green Life 