Witches Knickers

Witches Knickers is Irish slang for plastic bags, the New Scientist tells us this week, referring to the phenomenon of discarded bags blown off landfill or off city street-corners, and caught in trees. Otherwise known as white pollution, plastic bags are jokingly referred to as national flower of South Africa! The latest victim of plastic bag pollution was a Minky whale, washed up in Normandy with 800 kg of plastic bags in its guts. Many countries are already acting to ban plastic bags under 30 micrometres (the UK's average plastic bag is jusy 18 micrometres and totally unsuited for reuse!) These plastic bags make up 56% of beach litter, according to the Marine Conservation Society. Isn't it time the supermarkets made a bit more effort to promote re-usables?