shattering carrier bags... is this deliberate??

[joko]

I have had 2 carrier bags from one single shop, that have been stored with stuff in for well over a year.... both just disintegrated...turned into confetti - they are brittle and just crumble

is this a special, feature ? does this mean they will biodegrade?

thanks

[Buenchico]

You obviously don't read what's printed on your carrier bags ;-)

The Co-op has used biodegradable bags for ages (with that fact proudly printed on the bag). See this news item from 2002:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2229698.stm

Tesco bags now bear the same message. See this, from 2006:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4758419.stm

Sainsbury's have been using bags made from Tapioca since 2003:
http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?PageID= 424§ion=&Year=2003&NewsID=347

Other supermarkets, such as Asda and Waitrose, have expressed some reservations about introducing the bags; they point out that they still contribute to landfill waste.

Chris

[joko]

ahh i see, these are green ones from lloyds chemist...no others have done that here

ill have to be careful which ones i use to store things in haha

thanks

[spudqueen]

I stored some stuff in black bin liners only to find that they'd disintergrated. I hadn't realised that they were biodegradable ones!