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US retailer Walgreens took full control of Boots the Chemist owner Alliance Boots in 2014. The subsequently formed new group, Walgreen Boots Alliance, is based in Chicago but the headquarters of Boots remains in Nottingham. Despite the latest and frightneing gloobal wamring report from the UN, American companies continue to ignore the human activity cause of global warming and many siomply, like their 'profit before all else' minded President; even deny its existence. In line with that philosophy, it seems that Boots in the UK has re-introdueced single use plastic bags in place of existing paper bags. Media reports state that customers have been 'astonished' by the move. Given that Boots signed up to a high-profile scheme to cut plastic packaging last year; it is clear that it was only a publicity scheme to do so! Intewrstingly, despite signing that plastic-free scheme in August 2018, in the same year that the huge American chemist Walgreens took over the previsouly100% UK company (in 2014); it then re-introduced plastic bags stating that it needed to use the plastic packaging on those orders processed at a centralised pharmacy because the material is more durable. It c laims that this frees up its pharmacists for “more services for our patients”. The scheme was not being run in an attempt to save money, it claims! Howver one customer was so diosgusted that she took the plastic bag back to the store.
According to the BBC, several Boots customers had expressed their disgust, including one who went back to her local branch to return the packaging and demand the retailer change its policy. Roisin Moriarty told the broadcaster she got increasingly angry after leaving the pharmacy with her subscription wrapped in plastic. “I told my colleagues, who were equally appalled, then decided I could not let it lie." “I scrawled ‘SHAME ON YOU!’ and ‘PAPER, NOT PLASTIC!’ on it in black marker pen and took it up to the pharmacy counter with an overly-polite, ‘This is for whoever cares to take any notice’ then walked out.” In 1973 a world-wide campaign against over use of plastic and packaging saw customers taking excess packing back to the stores from which it came, which resutled in a reduction of packaging at the time in reaction to the backlash from consumers. However, since then the use of paper, cardboard and plastics, has increased with most packaging being far larger than the actual item it encloses! Childen's toys is particularly enclosed in realms of cardboard and plastic that makes it almost impossible to relase the toy from! Perhaps, that successful campaign needs to be re-activiated by those who are truly concerned about our planet and the future lives of their Children and their Children's Children! Source: The Guardian / Twitter / unionsafety
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The Guardian reports: