Recently I stopped at the small local grocery store to pick up just a few things. I don't shop there often, but when it is most convenient it works fine for a few necessities.
I did not have reusable bags with me, and was in a hurry so I wasn't paying attention at the checkout. And my purchase of SIX items was packed into FIVE plastic shopping bags. These bags were so obviously underpacked, that I felt like I was walking out of there with an armful of plastic and a few groceries.
Here is what these groceries looked like when I got home and re-packed them, just out of curiosity.
Does that really look like too much to handle? It actually looks EASIER to carry, if you ask me.
One bag. ONE. That is all it took. The milk already has it's own handle, and everything else fit into one bag and actually weighed about the same as the milk when I held it in the other hand, so nice and balanced. It just makes no sense to me why someone would put this many items into five bags for their customer to set in their car and then carry into their house. What a waste. Can the stores not see the cost savings to them in using less bags? Not to mention the post-consumer waste reduction in sending a customer home with one-fifth of the packaging material?
This happens more often than not when I am shopping, and not just at the little local store. Every once in a while I notice that a grocery bagger has actually used the space in the bags efficiently, and it surprises me. Guess it's time to start emailing some of my favorite stores and see if we can encourage some change.
San Francisco has banned plastic bags come July. I heard Ireland now charges a fee per plastic bag. I hope more places follow trend.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my biggest pet peeves, also. I was constantly leaving my reusable bags in the car and feeling so guilty when I'd walk out with entirely too many plastic bags.
Now, if I forget I make sure to ask for "as much as possible" in each bag. I love the local stores here with the sign out front reminding you to bring your bags. I've gone "oh!" and happily retrieved them from my car.
I use the ones YOU made for me all the time....we keep a couple in each car. I've seen people at ALDI load 40 or 50 items loose in the back of their car rather than pay for bags(Oh yeah, they sell lots of them). Thanks again--- Love, Grandpa
ReplyDeletewe try to use our fabric bags, but when we don't, it really is ridiculous how many bags they use.
ReplyDeleteI have like 20 bags (it is a little embarrassing when they are all together), so easy for me to keep at least some in the car. And a LOT of people use them here in Northern Cali, most stores give you 5 cents back per bag.
ReplyDeleteBut once when I wasn't paying attention (one of the kids was flipping out) I came home to unpack my cloth bags, in which the clerk had taken every item I bought and wrapped it individually in a plastic bag before putting in the cloth bag.
I think everywhere should charge for bags. I am really bad about forgetting my bags in the car and will usually carry it in our hands or ask for paper "packed as full as possible". I've had packers not able to comprehend that i don't care if my meat is in plastic 'just put it in the bag!'' anyhow. i had it when i see people walking out of the store with a 100 bags with just a couple of things in each bag. I saw someone once with a candy bar in a bag!
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