Comments on: Grocery Bags Should Be Free!

By: zig

zig — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:31:14 +0000

“For all the talk I hear about saving the environment, I have not yet seen anyone actually using those canvas bags at the checkout”.
I guess you haven’t been grocery shopping too much. I see tons of people with these, and that’s not when I’m on duty during my former job either.

Bob,
You must not be the person behind me in the checkout line when I get my canvas bags out. The person who is behind me usually rolls their eyes and probably thinks I’m a nut for taking them instead of using the plastic bags that the store provides.

Zig

By: Bob

Bob — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:14:44 +0000

I’m sick of people complaining about having to buy bags. It’s only $1, for goodness’ sake. If the store had to supply free reusable bags to all their customers, how much would it cost them? (vs. you just spending $1 for one).

By: Anne

Anne — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:33:59 +0000

When I lived in Taiwan, legislation was passed that plastic bags needed to be made differently/of a higher grade plastic for environmental reasons. Stores didn’t want to foot the bill, so they started charging for bags.

Wow, all the sudden I started remembering to bring bags, sticking stuff in my backpack rather than getting a plastic bag for one lone item, or even toting home an armful of groceries, just to avoid spending the money. But I don’t do those things here in America- it appears from my life that I am more motivated by not having to spend money than by receiving a credit back.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:51:02 +0000

The issue here should be the fact that you are concerned with your childrens’ future and want them to still be able to breath fresh when theyre your age. Youre on the planet, so do something constructive. Save it! Stop bitching about a couple dollars. Stop using plastic bags and stop drinking out of bottled water!

By: mad

mad — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:42:25 +0000

I believe that everything green green should be free.We would get a bigger response from people and save the Earth faster!

By: Ziggee

Ziggee — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:12:19 +0000

when our local grocery store chain started to sell their big canvas bags I bought them, even though I had my own smaller canvas bags. I liked the price because you could buy one of their large canvas bags for under $4.00 and they save trips to and from the car to get groceries. we keep our bags in the trunk of our car so they are always available to use at the grocery store or other stores.

I once forgot to but the bags back in the car and went shopping. When we got there and noticed I stopped at the isle where they had them (craftstore) I put it in the cart and did my shopping. when I got to the check out I paid for it with the rest of my purchases and had them use the new bag to put my merchandise in.

Unfortunatly the bag I bought at the craftstore was much smaller and cost morethan the bags I bought from the grocery store. But I have never forgotten my bags again.

Zig

By: Beth

Beth — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:49:58 +0000

I’ve thought about using canvas bags but I’m scared that I’ll never actually get them into the building. I have a hard enough time remembering to take my shopping list with me let alone bags.

The other thing that worries me is that one time when I only bring a few cloth bags but end up with more items than will fit in them. These items I’m sure would end up in plastic bags. Wouldn’t that defeat the whole purpose of me bring the cloth bags in the first place?

I do like the idea of using cloth bags, but I’m afraid that it will end up being a lot more work to use them in my daily life. Besides, if I didn’t get a couple plastic bags every now and then, what would I use to line my tiny bathroom trashcan?

By: mary

mary — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:42:27 +0000

I think $1 is a bargain for a bag you can use over and over again. I have a 4 of those bags. (about 6 of my own canvas bags) You can carry more in a canvas bag and they don’t break like those cheap plastic ones. We need to get rid of those plastic bags. They are a petroleum based product. Just think if 50,000 families switch to canvas bags saving 5 plastic bags a week that’s 250,000 bags not in a landfill. (I honestly don’t believe the majority are recylced) You have kids this is a good lesson for them.

By: Alexis

Alexis — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:29:15 +0000

Er… I think you miss the point of the reusable bags.

“I am not willing to buy grocery bags when I can get them for free,” you say. That’s exactly why the stores are doing what they are doing. You can’t get them for free any more, because it’s a tremendous waste of resources to use a bag for 10 minutes and then throw it away, or even recycle it.

Why don’t stores give away reusable bags? Because that’s just the same as giving away non-reusable bags, except that reusable bags are a bit more expensive and resource-intensive to produce.

I don’t buy the idea of “rewarding” repeat customers with a reusable bag. Sounds like a gimmick that would end up in my kitchen closet. Better to force every customer, every time they purchase something, to decide whether they really need that bag badly enough to pay $1.00 for it, and remind them that if they’d bought their own bag, they wouldn’t have to worry about it!

By: Pension

Pension — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:15:23 +0000

I love my canvas shopping bags, because they double up as a cool carry bag for my train travel during the week!