Bags at the grocery store
Last night my fiancé and I went to King Soopers for our bimonthly grocery run. While there we spent about 100$ on groceries (That's a lot! Ouch!).
But luckily enough we brought our own tote bags, so we didn't have to use plastic or paper bags when checking out. Because we are so conscientious and such great people and are helping the world and all that, they gave us some money back! 5 cents per bag! For a total of...
25 cents.
This is a complete joke! 25 cents on a 100$ dollar purchase is going to convince absolutely no one to stop using plastic bags. The problem is that it is an incentive system (with really crappy incentives at that). I think instead people should be charged for using plastic bags.
I hereby decree that starting today for every bag a customer uses, they should be charged 50 cents. It's easy to not care when there are no penalties, but when all of a sudden there is a very noticeable, negative impact on their bottom line, well, that'll get people's attention!
Can I get a, "What! What!"?
16 November 2009 06:36pm UTC • 244 views • 13 comments
Tagged with shopping, environment, groceries, plasticbags
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13 comments
Robert
16 November 2009 08:57pm UTC
Grocery bags seem to me like a pretty minor thing to be worrying about.
John
17 November 2009 01:23am UTC
Safeway actually made their incentive worse recently. I think it used to be .06 a bag, and now it's even lower!
I have heard of stores charging for bags, but now I can't remember which it was. Maybe Fred Meyer?
Sailing Master Keri
17 November 2009 02:22am UTC
What what!
First Mate Beca
17 November 2009 02:58am UTC
I completely agree with you...except for the fact that we use paper bags for recycling at our apartment...but plastic bags are the devil and should no longer be used in my opinion.
Fred Meyers gives 10 cents back per bag as well, but there is no charge for choosing plastic...I think Trader Joe's charges for plastic bags? Or maybe it is just that they no longer carry plastic bags? I think Whole Foods also no longer carries plastic bags...
Peon Peetie
17 November 2009 03:15am UTC
in Hangzhou it's a law! all supermarkets charge .5rmb (about 5 cents) for each bag. and I'll tell you! on principle, I have NEVER bought a bag. at first I was annoyed. but now I take canvas bag with me everywhere, including when I'm in the states.
I think it should be that they charge enough for people to get annoyed so it's brought to their attention. that way people will bring bags. giving money bag, as you demonstrated, makes them look cheap. charging you money makes them look like they're trying to help the environment.
Peon Peetie
17 November 2009 04:19am UTC
...you mean bimonthly or semi-monthly?
Dread Pirate Benjamin
17 November 2009 05:27am UTC
Well, bimonthly can go either way!
But semimonthly would have been more explicit!
Farluffo the Great
17 November 2009 10:18pm UTC
Well, pre-dog ownership I would agree with you. But now that I have a dog, I use the plastic bags from the grocery store as poop pick up bags. And I'd hate to be charged 50 cents for each future poop bag I'm going to use.
flychipmunk
18 November 2009 03:00pm UTC
Wow, you guys only spend $200 a month on groceries for two people? What do you buy? That isn't very much. First of all, I think all grocery stores should just stop providing plastic bags. I agree that charging would be a more effective means of reducing plastic bag usage, though.
Sailing Master Keri
19 November 2009 02:50am UTC
Well our average monthly grocery cost is actually $226.45. That seems like a lot to me!
Seamonster Mom
19 November 2009 04:11am UTC
$226 for 30 days a month for 2 people = $3.77 per person per day. At 3 meals per day, that is $1.25 per meal! That is a very frugal eating plan. I know you are eating good food and not wasting away, so you are doing a great job. (That doesn't include meals eaten out.)
Sailing Master Keri
19 November 2009 05:07am UTC
Wow, that's impressive! I had no idea we were spending so little on a daily basis. That makes me feel much better! And by the way, our average expense from eating out is $21.36 per month.
Peon Peetie
19 November 2009 09:24am UTC
$21.36 per month?!!! I've spent twice that much eating out inthe last 24 hours! and I live in china!
but my grocery bill averages more like $4 a month. and I spend a lot of my company's money when eating out. and like living the high life.