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| Paper or plastic? Bag from South Africa. |
The Woolworths bag is not my first reusable bag. I carry two baggies which fold up into packs smaller than a deck of cards in my purse and a bunch of bigger ones in the trunk of my car. To me this feels like an easy way of making a difference environmentally.
Others seem to have a harder time. When the county of Los Angeles recently introduced a ban on plastic bags for its unincorporated areas the new ordinance was met with resistance. Shops bemoan that paper is more expensive than plastic. They charge customers ten cents for every paper bag. Shoppers complain about the ten cents; they also claim that they are left without a choice which they say is "Un-American".
Change always hurts but the choice is still there, it is just different. The cashier's last question, "Paper or plastic", has been replaced by "Paper or your own bag?"
Others seem to have a harder time. When the county of Los Angeles recently introduced a ban on plastic bags for its unincorporated areas the new ordinance was met with resistance. Shops bemoan that paper is more expensive than plastic. They charge customers ten cents for every paper bag. Shoppers complain about the ten cents; they also claim that they are left without a choice which they say is "Un-American".
Change always hurts but the choice is still there, it is just different. The cashier's last question, "Paper or plastic", has been replaced by "Paper or your own bag?"
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| Paper or your own bag? Store poster in L.A. county. |
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P.S. Coincidentally another friend of mine posted a video on the topic on Facebook today. It is three minutes long and fun to watch, especially for those who are not familiar with the way stores in the U.S. use a separate plastic bag for almost every item we shop. So here it is, the Bag It Intro. The long form documentary attracted a lot of attention at film festivals this year.
Comments
I try to remember to take my own bags in the store; they're always in my truck begging to be used.
Did you know Target pays you five cents for every one of your own bags you use, whether it is a Target bag or any other bag? Now there's incentive; I seem to remember more consistently to BYOB when I shop at Target.
I didn't know about the Target program but Whole Foods does it too. At Trader Joe's customers who bring their own bag get to enter into a monthly drawing for a ten Dollar cash reward. Not bad either - and always fun (though I have never won so far).
Btw: do you have Trader Joe's where you live?
So there, as well as in Austria and, I assume, other parts of Europe, one knows to bring bags to the market or to be prepared to pay for one on check out. Ironically, my favourite bags are the Trader Joes ones brought to me as gifts. Sadly, one of them is beginning to give way; I will mourn its passing.
I also have one of the nylon ones that folds into a sac smaller than a deck of card to carry in my purse. Very handy.
I understand that some consider this change 'unAmerican', an attitude that makes me shake my head.
European countries started charging for store supplied bags a while ago. If I remember correctly the change came around twenty years ago for Austria. People complained at first but after a while all was well.
There are no Trader Joe's in Texas right now, but stores are scheduled to open in Dallas/Ft Worth and Austin by the end of the year - yay!
My boyfriend, Ken, who lived in Santa Barbara for 22 years, told me about Trader Joe's. When we were in Santa Fe, we visited the one there. I like it! It had an artsy, unique atmosphere, great produce, herbs, coffees and wine selection. And the employees were really helpful.
I think the plastic bag manufacturers must have come up with this "Un-American" idea of charging for plastic bags. The plastic companies over here try similar tactics.
I wonder about the use of paper or plastic at grocery stores depending on the region of the US. In the Midwest, we tend to shop once a week and buy a lot of groceries, so we always use large, paper bags (I can't remember my mom ever using plastic bags at the grocery store). Do people in California generally use more plastic bags, than paper?
Mark
How about Penang? I would assume it's all on a small scale, but who knows.