Carrier Bags

I've been reading Al Gore's tips on how we can individually help to solve the climate crisis in 'An Inconvenient Truth' and, although the book is a few years old now, I think there are things that some people could still learn. One of his tips is to bag your purchases in a reusable tote (I love that American word!). It is estimated that the average life of a single giveaway carrier bag is only 3 minutes before being discarded. All those resourses used up for three minutes of something we didn't really need!
Here in Wales a new law came into effect October 1st this year which means that if you want a carrier bag (plastic or paper) anywhere in Wales, at any shop/take-away etc you have to pay 5p for it. The proceeds are then donated to charity. I for one have welcomed this new law with open arms, although I stopped using plastic bags a long time ago. Firstly, it was hugely entertaining watching everybody think up ways to carry their shopping without using a bag on 1st October. I saw one man stagger out of Tesco to his car with a tower of groceries in his hands that reached to about two foot above him. Secondly, it's made the nation think about how they use plastic. I've decided to carry around a placard that says 'It's still a bag', as this is a response I seem to be giving a lot to people with comments such as 'They even charged me in McDonalds' and 'But I bought lots of clothes so I needed a bag'. My particular favourite was a lady in Sainsburys who said 'Well, if they're going to charge me they can keep their bags'. I think that was the idea, love.
I am somewhat surprised at the uproar to the new law. I'm only 31, but I can remember another time when it was normal to charge for bags. It was considered an ingenious marketing ploy when Kwik Save announced that they would no longer be charging for bags as they didn't think their customers should have to pay for them, unfortunately not realising at the time what they were starting and the effect it would have on the environment.
So even if you only make one change (and the law will soon come into effect in other countries too anyway) then carry a reusable bag with you. Especially if you're coming to visit Wales.