Ellee Seymour

Banning plastic bags is one of my pet subjects, a topic close to my heart after researching and writing an academic paper on this subject. So I’m delighted to read that China, a great provider of plastic goods, is in fact banning free plastic bags, those horrid, flimsy things that are so thoughtlessly discarded and can be seen clinging to hedges and trees.

I have been most impressed by the lead taken by the Republic of Ireland to ban free plastic bags in an attempt to reduce littering since 2002. It has led to a reduction of more than 90% of plastic bags. Shoppers soon got used to taking reusable bags with them.

I remember one of their proud waste officers telling me how delegates came all over to world to visit them in Dublin and learn from their best practice – including China, who have now obviously acted on the findings of their visit. Plastic bags clog waterways and rivers in third world countries too leading to water and crop production problems.

Last year, the then Environment Secretary, David Miliband refused to introduce a similar plastic bag levy in the UK, opting instead for an ineffective approach to reduce our use of plastic bags by 25% within two years, following a Defra  agreement with UK retailers to reach this goal. I doubt this has had a huge impact.

Only now, local authorities around the country are taking matters into their own hands and considering introducing their own ban on plastic bags. Modbury, a tiny town in Devon, took an inspirational stand on this and has been outstandingly successful, with every trader agreeing to use environmentally friendly alternatives.

I’ve been to Dublin and seen how shoppers accepted the levy, and they now find plastic bags distasteful when visiting England and cannot believe how wasteful we are with them. It helps people focus more on environmental issues too.

Government needs to be decisive and listen to the mood of its people on this. Why not visit Modbury and see how it works. Fancy letting China take the lead on this ahead of us.

(Pic caption: Credit The Times, used plastic bags are taken for recycling. I really liked their headline too, as you can tell!

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I hope I don’t get any unexpected visitors over the next day or two. My cleaning lady has given up the mop for a new job and it has left me in a bit of a dither.

Pat helped me out for four years and became a friend, and before that Nicky took care of my domestic chores. I am now thinking that perhaps I should carry out these tasks myself.

I love my home, I love it looking sparkling clean and nobody can do it better than me; cleaners never get behind the sofa and in the corners. It was an indulgence I enjoyed. But I wonder how I will fit it in with my work, building up my client profile, blogging, chauffeuring the kids, visits to the gym, long country walks, etc

I used to justify it by saying I was providing someone with employment and enjoying the time I saved on other much more worthwhile activities. Pat was a good worker too, she didn’t sit around chatting and drinking coffee half the morning like some do. Mind you, I always used to spend a good half hour tidying away before she came, so the rooms always looked in pretty reasonable shape.

No doubt I will have to use plenty of "elbow grease". I can tell you a funny story about this. In cookery classes at school when we were asked to clean out the oven, our teacher told us to use plenty of "elbow grease". I searched high and low for a cleaning product called "elbow grease" in the cupboards before giving up and asking her where I might find it!

I’m sure I’ve got plenty of it left. And it does make you feel  good afterwards, you can see what you have accomplished. Or will I give up and find a replacement within a month? I wonder how many of you treat yourself to a cleaning lady too. And what is the going rate these days?

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