Pack your own bags, says environment crusader

Dubai: A Gulf News reader has come full circle in his efforts to cut plastic bag usage.

Once an employee with a large hypermarket chain in Dubai, Joel Fernandes was responsible for training staff to pack customer's purchases in plastic bags.

"I would tell them to put fresh produce in one bag, bakery items in another and so on," he said.

Today, however, instead of urging bag boys at checkout counters to pack products in separate bags, he makes it a point to stop them from using more bags than necessary. The irony is not lost on him.

Ever since he left his job, Fernandes said he has become more conscious about the environment. "I pack my own bags when I go to the supermarket, and I make sure I use just one or two, not dozens."

He added: " I suggest everyone pack his or her own bags - it makes a big difference."