I’m writing this in the suburbs of New York, but thinking about the suburbs (after a manner of speaking) of Pézenas. Pézenas is the Languedoc town where I’ll be on holiday in a couple of weeks. And since I’ll be doing some of the shopping in supermarkets, as I do here in New York, I’ll be thinking once again about carrier bags.

In the USA, the country that gave us Hummers, stretch limos and so many other monuments to conspicuous over-consumption of fossil fuels, carrier bags are used with wild abandon. Shopkeepers thrust them on you. Buy a pack of chewing gum and someone will want to double-bag it.

Around Pézenas, by contrast, supermarkets charge serious money for carrier bags. That’s why we’ll be taking a Supermarket Saver from Lakeland (01539 488100, www.lakeland.co.uk). Supermarket Savers, one of the greatest CBAs (Carrier Bag Alternatives) ever to pass through the Green Kitchen test labs, are a pair of gigantic trolley bags which weigh next to nothing and fold up perfectly flat. Unfolded, they can accommodate vast quantities of shopping. They come in two incarnations: standard bags and the newer “One of Each” package, which includes one bag that’s insulated for chilled or frozen foods. Both sets cost £11.99 for two bags.

While New York lags behind Europe in carrier-bag awareness, it’s way ahead in another area of Green Kitchen consciousness: food storage. The choice of strong, lightweight polypropylene tubs is truly awe-inspiring. You might have to look a little harder for them in the UK, but they’re worth the effort.

Here’s another suggestion for ultra-cheap storage: www.ebay.co.uk. Search for plastic + storage + food and you will find 17-piece sets from Ikea for as little as £1.99 plus p&p. They’re not a glamorous purchase, but they eliminate a lot of clingfilm and aluminium foil. A lifetime of food storage for a few quid.

greenkitchen@thetimes.co.uk

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