Robertson’s pulls plastic bags
This week Robertson’s Drug Store in St George’s pulled the plug on a dirty habit — plastic bags.
On Monday, the store announced it would no longer be offering plastic bags or plastic straws to its customers. If customers need something to carry their purchases, Robertson’s has paper bags on offer.
Store manager Joy Rothwell said the move was made purely out of concern for the environment.
“It has been a discussion between us and the staff for a long time,” Ms Rothwell said. “Obviously, we are very aware of what is going on in the environment and the amount of plastic bags you find on beaches and in the ocean.”
She said they’d been putting it off for some time, but after watching various documentaries about the environment and trash in the ocean, decided it was time to go ahead with it.
Sales floor supervisor, Amba Smith, was one of the employees spearheading the move.
“We estimate we were looking at 8,500 plastic bags a year,” Ms Smith said. “Sometimes customers would use a plastic bag for a newspaper, or a pack of gum. I just think that quite a few people don’t get the concept that a lot of these things, do end up in the ocean. Especially for us being an island, we have to be considerate of the ocean.”
Ms Smith spends a lot of time on the beach during the summer, and is always horrified by the amount of garbage she sees there.
“The only people who can change that is us, as humans,” she said. “There has to be a better way.”
Ms Smith said reusable bags are available all over Bermuda.
“I keep mine in my bike, or in my bag or purse,” she said. “It only takes a few seconds to pull it out and pop a purchased item in.”
Robertson’s is not the first store in Bermuda to change its plastic habit.
Last year, several Hamilton businesses either ceased importation of plastic bags, or started charging a small fee for them, offering reusable bags instead.
Ms Rothwell said Robertson’s started warning their customers about the change, last year just before Christmas.
When the store posted the move this week on their Facebook and Instagram pages, it received mainly supportive messages, such as “awesome” and “good on you!”
This week, Robertson’s is offering a free useable bag for purchases over $30.
“It is a very hardy bag,” Ms Rothwell said. “It should last well. That promotion is for this week, or for the next ten days if stocks last.”
After that, reusable bags will be available for $7.50 each.
“It’s a good price,” Mr Rothwell said. “It is not just some thin bag that rips easily. It is made of thick, neoprene material that will be reusable.”
They are working on one day offering reusable bags with their own design and logo.
As part of their promotion they will be doing a beach clean-up day on Sunday, April 14.
“It is a voluntarily thing for the staff,” Ms Rothwell said. “And whoever wants to join us can. It will be at one of the beaches in St George’s. We are not sure which one yet, but will post that information on our social media pages. We have already had a couple of customers to say they will come.”
Robertson’s next move is to look at their sunblock products to make sure they are reef friendly.
• Ocean pollution affects more than 817 animal species around the world, a 23 per cent increase in the last five years alone.
• In many areas of the ocean, scientists find more plastics by weight than plankton, a crucial source of food for many marine animals.
• Plastics are particularly harmful to the environment because they do not break down easily and are often mistaken as food by marine animals.
• A recent survey found ocean pollution is more common in waters more than 2,000ft deep, with the most common offenders being plastic bags, metal cans, fishing equipment, glass bottles, shoes, and tyres.
• Over 100,000 marine animals die every year from plastic entanglement and ingestion.
