Supermarket Rant…well not really a rant.😁

[HeatherC]

So I just ran to the supermarket to pick up some last minute stuff for Thanksgiving. I went to a store I don’t go to very often because I figured it would be less crowded which it was.
My complaint besides the prices which are ridiculously high, has to do with bags.

Most of the stores by me still give you bags at checkout so I wasn’t thinking and left my reusable ones in the car and did my shopping. Well when I went to pay they asked me if I wanted to buy paper bags. Normally, I would say no and just bring the stuff to my car and put the stuff in mine. But today I said yes to save time and paid for the bags and left.

Then I got to thinking….can’t they just give paper bags? Paper is recyclable and with the cost of groceries sky high can’t the store just make this one thing less of a problem for their customers? Lots of times people are in a hurry and either forget bags or May stop at a store they don’t know they need one at. With all the freaking profits, can’t they do this one thing? Nope..guess they can’t.

So that is my rant today.. Major problem in the world today, I know.. Just annoying and another example of being nickel and dimed at every turn.

 

[White Cat]

Was just in Maine and the store used paper bags and charged for them.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I’m guessing you don’t live in New Jersey cause you ain’t getting any bag for free at the grocery store… paper or otherwise. Law went into effect a couple of years ago and since I’m old I still forget sometimes! LOL

 

[starlite_]

I haven't seen a free bag in like 5 years.

 

[Smugpugmug]

It's a law where I live to charge for bags regardless if they're plastic or paper. The price depends on the store which is IMO annoying (like, have the price be the same everywhere). I always keep at least 1 reusable bag in my car in case I go out somewhere.

 

[soccerdad72]

Our grocery store chain charged (like 5 or 10 cents, I forget) for paper bags a year or so ago when they switched away from any plastic and recommending reusable bags, but the last couple times that I've been there, they stopped charging for them, so they must have gotten some backlash from customers for that.

 

[leahgoogle]

We have Meijer that still has paper or plastic bags for free. I use the paper and recycle them. Target and walmart give free plastic bags. Aldi you have to pay for paper ($0.12) or a sturdy plastic with handles (not sure how much those are bc I have never bought one).

 

[tvguy]

Illegal to give away bags for free in California. They HAVE to charge. Our politicians at work.

 

[Moliphino]

Grocery stores charge $0.10 for paper bags around here, I think by choice. Plastic ones are banned, but I don't think there's a requirement to charge for paper. TJMaxx and Marshalls don't charge for their paper bags.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I’m in NY and most supermarkets here charge 5 or 10 cents per bag. There is a plastic bag ban as of a few years ago, and they now only have paper. I have tons of reusable bags and keep them in my car. (Many stores gave those away for free when the law went into effect.) I have to remember to put them back after unloading groceries in the house.

OTOH, non-food stores, like Target or Kohl’s, still provide bags for free. Although I recently discovered that Target gives you a 5 cents credit if you bring your own bags, so in a way they actually are charging you.

 

[JLTraveling]

Huh, that must be a Northern/West Coast thing. Never been charged for a bag in Louisiana or Florida.

 

[lovesmurfs]

City of Chicago charges for bags. Our suburb doesn't.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I’m guessing you don’t live in New Jersey cause you ain’t getting any bag for free at the grocery store… paper or otherwise. Law went into effect a couple of years ago and since I’m old I still forget sometimes! LOL

How about self-serv gas, does New Jersey allow that yet?

 

[Mle8308]

Here in MA it is by city, some still have plastic and some are all paper. Some charge 10 cents, some stores do not. My city is paper, but I can go one city over and get plastic.

 

[Allison]

With all the freaking profits, can’t they do this one thing? Nope..guess they can’t.

The profit margins of grocery stores are very low.

 

[maxaroni]

How about self-serv gas, does New Jersey allow that yet?

Not who you quoted but you can not pump your own gas in NJ, as of yet.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I was recent in the Pacific Northwest for a business trip.

Half of the store was behind security glass.

Finding someone to help you was a challenge.

The store I happened to go into out there had armed cops at both doors.

They didn’t give or sell paper or plastic bags only the 2.50 reusable bags.

Then you had to wait in line after check out to get out of the store.

 

[footballmouse]

I'm in Cincinnati and they don't charge for either type of bag. I know it was said that they will start charging for paper and do away with plastic in the coming years but not sure when that year is. I'm not about to pay for a bag so I'll just start using my reusable bags. I like the plastic or paper bags, they make it easy for litter box clean up.

 

[CynBeth]

I'm in Cincinnati and they don't charge for either type of bag. I know it was said that they will start charging for paper and do away with plastic in the coming years but not sure when that year is. I'm not about to pay for a bag so I'll just start using my reusable bags. I like the plastic or paper bags, they make it easy for litter box clean up.

They just started doing that where I am on MD.

 

[Minnesota!]

Aldi is the only place that charges for bags around here. I don't mind it, prefer reusable. But, it would be nice if they had a place, in store, where people could drop off their bags they no longer need - reusable, paper, plastic, and then you could fish through there for a bag if you forgot your own. Like Costco has for boxes. I shop mainly through Instacart so I have, no lie, 100+ brown paper bags tucked into each other in my basement. I would gladly donate these to somewhere that people could benefit from them.