Carrier bags campaign - case studies
A campaign from the Scottish Government and retailers has been launched reminding Scots to remember to re-use their carrier bags.
Research shows 92 per cent of people think re-using carrier bags is good for the environment but that 59 per cent forget their re-usable bags and have to take new ones at the checkout.
Brian Edmiston - Manager, Co-operative Food Store, Helensburgh
Brian Edmiston is manager of The Co-operative Food store in Helensburgh. The Co-operative Group is recognised for its leadership on green and ethical issues.
Tackling climate change is a key social goal for the consumer-owned business and The Co-operative has introduced a number of environmentally friendly initiatives and policies, for example, making it compulsory for stores to recycle their waste. 
The reduction in the use of single-use carrier bags is one of its key priorities.
Brian said:
"The issue of carrier bag waste has become an important one for all retailers and at The Co-operative, we've introduced policies designed both to reduce use of one-trip bags and encourage more long-term solutions
"We introduced our cotton Bag for Life in 2007 and it's gone down really well with customers. It's made from Fairtrade cotton, is very sturdy, and customers have commented that they can fit a lot of their shopping items into it. We've been delighted with just how many customers we see purchasing the cotton bags and bringing them back for their future shops.
"Our free single use bags are fully degradable but we no longer have them on show, or give them out automatically, meaning that customers have to request the number of bags they wish to use from the checkout operator. This has been an important step as it encourages customers to take a more prudent approach, thinking about how many bags they actually need rather than taking an unnecessarily large number.
"Staff have played a key role. We provide colleagues with training on green issues on their induction and they've been really enthusiastic about getting the message across to customers."
And it's not just staff who have embraced the retailer's efforts, customers have also responded well to the new measures and have adopted the good habits into their shopping practices.
Brian added:
"Discouraging the use of one-trip bags is a win-win situation for retailers. As well as helping to cut costs, it saves resources and helps protect the environment."
Fiona Lawrenson
Grandmother Fiona Lawrenson from Falkland in Fife, has already been making an effort to re-use her carrier bags.
The 65-year-old takes her own bags with her whenever she goes shopping and has been encouraging friends and family to do likewise.
She said: 
"It's just a matter of getting into the habit. I usually always take my own bags with me when I go to the supermarket and now that I'm in the habit, it's like second nature.
"I keep my bags where I can see them in the house to make it easier to remember them and it really annoys me if I'm caught short! I just think it's such a waste to keep getting more and more plastic bags then binning them after using them once. I'm always nagging family to keep hold of them and remember to take them to the shops to be used again.
"It's easier to forget to take a bag if you're just popping out to the local shop for milk or something but if I don't remember a bag, I just do without as it's usually only a couple of items.
"I often take my grand-daughter Becky shopping with me and she knows that gathering up some bags to take with us is all part of the process, in fact she often reminds me."