I cannot imagine a world where people don't come with bags or something to the counter. Are people actually just purchasing bags as they go?
this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2024
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Short answer: yes
Slightly longer answer: depens on where you live
In Singapore there was some pushback after supermarkets started charging for plastic bags (it used to be free for many years).
I guess I'll be the one to mention Costco, and the recycleable boxes I take home instead.
Mark.
What have you done, Mark.
I'm a basket man.
Lol i started seeing people in my store use the same kind of trolly bag. I feel like a trend setter.
I haven't seen plastic bags in years
It's illegal to outlaw plastic bags in Texas.
You're not serious, are you?
Wish I wasn't.
In Connecticut, towns started outlawing plastic bags but in Michigan it's not possible to pass town-specific laws like that according to a manager at the local recycling plant.
I'll repeat this.
ProTip: Leave a bag of bags in the car. When you shop, use a cart. Skip the bagging at the cashier and have them just put everything back in the cart. Bag at your car in peace and at your own pace. The cashier will appreciate you. The bagger will appreciate you. The other shoppers in line will appreciate you. Most of all, your nerves will appreciate you.
Other people bagging stuff for you is a thing? I have never seen it in my life in Europe. Unless you have a disability then to me it just seems like adding extra work to the workers for no real purpose
We usually have dedicated baggers in the US, though many stores switched to having the cashier do it due to the 'labor shortage' during the pandemic. It's basically a jobs program, usually given to disabled or older applicants that management wants tax credits for, but don't actually have a use for; also teens that otherwise would be too costly to train if they're only being employed for the summer.
Capitalism breeds innovation in how to pretend labor is necessary for everyone to do.
Stop taking our jobs!
+1 on leaving bags in the car
And this concept of bagging at the car just blew my mind
Costco style.
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We have this awesome thing in a lot of places where you can use a scanner and scan as you shop. You can put the bag in the cart and bag while you shop. When you get to the self checkout, you can use the scanner and instantly pay for everything and be out within seconds. I pay with my phone so just a touch is needed and I'm out of there. If you are the carry bags kind you can even take the bag out of the cart, return the cart to the correct place and walk to the car with the bag. It's so fast and efficient.
I've become so spoiled I actively avoid places that don't have such a thing. And I hate people who have a full cart at the self checkout and scan everything much much slower than the regular checkout with a person who's job it is to do that. It's fine if you have like 5 items and just scan them quickly at the self checkout. Anything beyond that really should be scanned during the shopping or just go to the regular checkout which is designed to handle a lot of stuff.
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My partner and I just use big backpacks, easier than having to hold heavy bags in hand, especially since we don't drive.
Even if you do drive, one big-ass backpack is way more managable than any number of smaller bags or (god forbid) multiple trips.
The hard part for me is remembering to return it to the car once all the groceries are put up.
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every bag is a reusable bag
Some places have banned single use plastic grocery bags, its not uncommon in my area to see at least a few people use reusable bags now.
Not banned in my area, and I use reusable bags anyway. So do other people, though it's still uncommon.
My area is so conservative they banned bans on single use plastic to own the libs.
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I was just thinking about this yesterday. In Washington state, they passed a law awhile back where stores can still give out plastic bags, but they have to be "reusable" (which means they're thicker, which means they use more plastic) and they charge you 8¢ per bag. Most people just pay the 8¢ per bag and walk out with half a dozen of them. I assume they're throwing them away at home, because I can count on one hand the number of times I've ever seen someone actually reuse these bags.
How does this reduce plastic waste? If anything the amount of plastic being thrown away has increased. The per-bag cost far too low to incentivize people to bring their own. Some stores offer a rebate if you supply your own bags, but it's usually 5¢ per bag, which is also too low of an incentive. So what we have is performative "feel good" legislation that ends up making the problem worse. As usual.
A plastic bag tax came into for in the UK a few years back. The fee was minimal, but it was still remarkably effective. It's not the amount, its the fact you have to pay at all. Most people have transitioned to using reusable bags. It's made a significant dent in plastic bag waste.
Yeah, I do that because it was difficult to get into the habit of bringing bags with me. Now I probably have over 109 10¢ plastic bags
But I do reuse them. I’m getting good at remembering to bring them and haven’t had to buy more in months. However sometimes it seems like I’m the only one. I’ve had cashiers be confused about them so it probably really is rare.
My biggest concern is portability - I can fold up these plastic bags and carry a few in pretty much any pocket, but how would I carry cloth bags? Do I need to invest in cargo pants just so I can use reusable grocery bags?
I keep my reusable bags in the car, so when I drive to the store I already have them. If I have to carry them anywhere... Well they are bags after all, so I just put them all into one bag and boom! Bag of bags! And then once I'm in the store, they just go into the basket or cart. Sometimes if I know I'm only buying 1 or 2 items, I'll just bring a single bag into the store and carry it around with me.
There have been a few times where no baskets have been available, so I'll just put the stuff I'm buying directly into the bag, and then take it all out when I get to the checkout counter. It feels weird to do, but no one has ever seemed to care.
I'm a Washingtonian and have thought the same. It has led to more people bringing their own bag(s), though.
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The proper way to do this was get like nice cloth bags that cost much more maybe like $10 or something so people actually get the message
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In Chicago we did the same thing, but we only charge $0.07 per bag, and they're the exact same crappy plastic bags we had before.
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What bags aren't reusable?
I reuse disposable grocery bags all the time as little trash bags. For stuff like bathroom trash cans or messes like cat vomit.
I have some reusable plastic bags at home. Perhaps I should use them to take the pile of reusable plastic bags to the trash
I bring my own reusable bag nearly every time I do grocery shopping. But I also live in NYC, which might as well be a different planet compared to most of the US. It's a five minute walk (on sidewalks! Big ones!) to the grocery store.
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