Would you pay 7 cents for a plastic grocery bag? (San Antonio: home, live)

[SnappyBob]

I heard on the news that someone is proposing a charge of 7 cents per plastic grocery bags and making grocery stores give out the old brown paper bags by default because they are biodegradable. I remember when they switched to plastic bags to save the trees. Now we are no longer concerned about the trees in favor of saving the earth from plastic. I vote that the grocery stores just stick with supplying grocery carts to get your goods out to the car and let everyone figure out for themselves how to get them from the car to inside the house. If you are in the habit of walking to the store perhaps a little rolling cart or a green bag would be in order. So I guess my vote would be no bags.

[catriona]

Save the trees - no more paper bags!
Save the environment - no more plastic bags!

Makes no sense, does it? Why don't they just do like Sam's does and give out cardboard boxes to those who can use them, otherwise, bring your own bags.

No way am I paying 7 cents for a plastic bag!

[sapphire]

Bring your own bags! But then, the people who make and sell the bags will be out of jobs.........and the ones who haul them to the stores, and the ones who pick them up off the side of the road......and what will I line my bathroom trash can with?

[fusQer]

we're already paying for the bags, its built into the price of the groceries. so if they do away with bags, will the groceries become cheaper?

how about self checkout lanes. when you use those you save the company time and money that they would have had to pay a cashier. we should demand a discount for using self checkout lanes, i don't work for free!

[Camper1]

I saw this story too. I do agree that something needs to be done, but I would never pay the 7 cents per bag. I have been asking for the brown bags when I can remember because I still have uses for them at home sometimes and I do keep the old plastic bags and eventually take them back. I just don't see the cloth bags working for me for many reasons but we will see. Maybe the stores should start giving them away, say one for every $20.00 you spend. One trip to the store should get me enough bags for my next trip.

I guess I could see the no bags at all working. It would be like going to Sam's or Costco. You know when you go you must have something in the car( like maybe the cloth bags! ha ha).

This thread will be interesting. Thanks for starting it. Lets see what ideas people will come up with.

[BenjaminNicholas]

This is something some bigger city Whole Foods locations are doing: A big reason I don't frequent their establishment, along with the fact that they overcharge for what I consider very standard product.

It's all boosting their profit margin in the name of 'saving the earth.' Frankly, it's all just BS aimed at making people feel better about themselves for 'doing their part.' Much like recycling programs that have been debunked as pure eco-folly, this is just another way to guilt people into doing the 'right' thing.

... And by 'right thing' I mean lining the grocer's pockets with more money




BN

[Bo]

I was just thinking the other day that a financial penalty might help me remember to bring my reusable bags into the store when I shop.

Aldi stores have been charging for bags for years. By the time they get to San Antonio, they may not be the first ones doing this.

[kevcrawford]

If they're that concerned about the environment, why not take all the food that's packaged in bags, cans and jars and just slop it on the shelf. Then you can just go grab a handful of whatever you need. No carbon footprint at all.

[dawgbert]

I have to laugh when folks start talking about saving the trees. I lived in logging country and know that when trees are cut down for paper two are planted in its place. There are more trees in America now than when Columbus first set foot here.

I have plenty of HEB bags and take them with me whenever I go to the store. It is not hard.

Plastic bags are made out of petroleum (non renewable). Paper bags are made out of trees (renewable and readily available). It is a no brainer. Best alternative to plastic is to bring your own bags; second is paper bags.

[scuba steve]

Doesn't matter - I bring reusable ones anyway.