When I say ‘let’s talk’ I really mean ‘here are my opinions on the subject and you may post your responses on Facebook.’

Because as you all know, some major retailers have ended their use of ‘single-use’ plastic bags in recent weeks, and people [mainly baby boomers] are all very upset.

Which is their right, they can feel however they like, but any reasonable person can look at the amount of air-time and column space [including this one] given to something so trivial as plastic bags and wonder ‘something isn’t right here.’

Because what most of these people aren’t getting is how privileged their lives must be if the hardest thing they experience each day is the slight annoyance of forgetting their enviro bags.

You’re not fleeing a country ravaged by terrorism nor are you a parent having their child forcefully removed from them and placed in a cage.

That being said, it isn’t entirely fair to roll out the ‘perspective’ angle all the time, if I broke my leg I’d be pretty dirty about it regardless of the outside world.

However, what’s really happening here is the classic fear of change.

We heard these complaints before, that if X happens then Y will follow. Do we all remember when the sanctity of marriage was under threat or the time people were sure that Christmas and Easter were cancelled?

It’s a good thing plastic bags are going away, it doesn’t solve the problem completely. It was never intended to, but it’s a step in the right direction. It’s our responsibility to look after the planet, as hard as that might be for some people to grasp.

Reducing the use of plastics however major or minor will always have a positive effect on our planet’s environmental health, for those of us unfortunate enough to have seen the ‘turtle straw’ video the reality is all too real.

Some people are even giving up plastic entirely for the month of July. I’m sure this is far tougher that it might seem when you realise just how much plastic products are a part of our everyday life.

Just the other day I ‘needed’ a straw and all that was offered was a plastic straw INSIDE a plastic wrapper.

This is all to say that reducing plastic use is a fantastic step forward and to those who oppose it for no good reason, I’m sure you’ll get upset at the next bit of positive social change anyway.