But do you NEED a bag?

"Paper or plastic" has become a cliche, but with retailers trying to cut down on plastic bag usage, consumers should get used to a new phrase at the checkout: "Do you need a bag?" Getting asked that question doesn't bother me, but it sure set off Carol Midgley, a feature writer and columnist for The Times. She recently wrote a funny column for the London paper headlined "Saving the planet or just toying with us?" Midgley was buying some figurines at The Disney Store, and the clerk asked if she preferred to pay 5 pence for a carrier bag, ˆ£1.50 for a "re-usable" carrier, or skip using a bag entirely. "Now hold on a minute, matey," she wrote. "I don't mind doing my bit; I know that charging for bags might be the only way to cure humanity's preposterous wastefulness. But I draw the line at being lectured on plastic overuse by a chuffing toy retailer." She added later: "Being urged to be eco-conscious by any toy shop is like being chided for your caffeine intake by a crystal meth addict." Delightful stuff. Thanks to Plastics News' correspondent in Mexico City, Steve Downer, for pointing it out today.