Supermarket Rant…well not really a rant.😁

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

As an aside, what really bugs me is when we take our tree limbs to the dump (we don't have leaf and limb pickup) they charge us by the pound. After you drop them off, they eventually chip them up and sell them. Used to you could drop them off for free. I've told hubby it might be worth investing in a small chipper and doing it ourselves then using the chips for mulch, that way we wouldn't have to buy mulch.

Interesting as we're the opposite here. City includes weekly yard waste pickup (smaller tree limbs, leaves, grass clippings) in addition to being able to drop off larger limbs at the compost facility (which just composts yard waste) nearby for free if a city resident. They turn the limbs into mulch which is available to city residents for free. Generally most like colored mulch so you know when you're going to get the free mulch it's just a natural color but it is at no additional cost. However, taxpayer money does go into this compost facility through city funds as well as maintenance on the trucks used to pick up the yard waste and machines within the compost yard, labor costs, etc but they certainly don't have to offer free drop off or mulch even if that's the case.

 

[EACarlson]

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.

Minneapolis put a 5 cent mandatory fee per bag in place a couple years ago. My mother works in an elementary school and takes as many plastic bags as she can home when she visits. The schools need the bags for dirty clothes and the like. They never have enough now that everyone has to pay for them.

I’m in NJ. No free bags but I don’t have to pump my own gas. If I’m in Philly I will cross the bridge on E so I can go to a NJ gas station. If they ever make us pump our own gas I will cry.

I'd rather pay the 20 cents less a gallon and pump my own. If there is a market for it, someone will provide the service, but there is no good reason why it should be mandated by law.

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

It's mainly a political persuasion thing.

 

[NYCgrrl]

In NYC and possibly throughout NYS you must pay for a bag ( reuse-able, paper or plastic) in many stores.
So if you need 10 bags after shopping you are charged for each and every one.
The idea in part is to ensure the bags are disposed of responsibly. Nothing like slowly watching a plastic bag shred to pieces in a tree. It was less expensive for me to use shopping bags as daily garbage bags but I get what they are doing as a whole and just deal with it. I find people are more careful when they pack reusable bags and the tree line looks prettier.

 

[SteveH]

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

Same in the People's Republic of Washington aka California Jr. If it happens in Cali our People's Congress takes the same bill, changes the code, and votes in lockstep with California Sr.

Funny part is the 3 grocery stores that I shop at says they've had to hire a lot more cart shaggers due to the number of people that just skip bagging until they get to their car.

So I guess it still is NJ and Oregon.

Oregon dropped the requirement in August. The funny thing was the TV station that had a "How to Pump your own gas" article. Oh and don't forget the legislature slid this little caveat in their bill too, "Drivers who pump their own gas won’t see a difference on their receipts. Gas stations are prohibited from charging different prices at self-service and attended pumps."

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Minneapolis put a 5 cent mandatory fee per bag in place a couple years ago. My mother works in an elementary school and takes as many plastic bags as she can home when she visits. The schools need the bags for dirty clothes and the like. They never have enough now that everyone has to pay for them.

I'd rather pay the 20 cents less a gallon and pump my own. If there is a market for it, someone will provide the service, but there is no good reason why it should be mandated by law.

It's mainly a political persuasion thing.

I had to get gas today. It’s cold, dark and rainy. I like not having to get out of my car to go inside to pay in cash (they charge more if you use a card) or pump the gas. It’s worth the extra money on a day like today.

 

[NotUrsula]

We had a movement toward re-useable bags here (though Aldi was the only store that charged for paper/plastic regular bags), but the pandemic sent all the stores back to disposable, and that pretty much killed the trend; now we're back to free disposables everywhere but Aldi.

DH always gets paper bags when he can because he likes to put them in the trash can (inside the plastic trash bag) to absorb liquids. I personally re-use plastic t-shirt bags for a long time, except for the WalMart bags; those rip so easily they go straight into the trash. If I'm at a store that charges for bags and I forget mine, I just take the cart to the car and bag it there, because I always have spare bags of some kind in my trunk.

One of the more interesting things one can do to re-purpose typical plastic grocery sacks is make sleeping pads for the homeless. You slice them into thick strips and crochet them. The pads are porous, yet elevate their bedding off the ground, which helps keep them a bit healthier.

 

[leebee]

In Maine, it's law: No free bags provided at check out. Plastic bags are not available at all, and paper are available for 5cents. You can also buy reusable bags for $1 to about $3. This is how it is in all stores, not just the grocery store. Bring your own or buy bags at the store.

 

[kyton]

Australia has had charges for shopping bags for quite a while. There are a few outliers that don’t charge but they are more boutique type shops where the cost is probably built into the purchase prices. We have a stack of reusable bags stacked neatly into a Buc-Ees cooler bag ready for shopping in need.

We haven’t had petrol pumped for us since well before 1990 (when I got my licence, before then I didn’t pay attention however I’m thinking it was well before then). My husband was a bit taken aback when we were in Portland in August when he was starting to pump petrol into the rental car and an older man in his 60-70’s walked over and told him that whilst it was fine to pump his own, he could wait for him. I had to tell him that the laws had just been lifted in that state re pumping your own gas.

I would hate to have to wait for someone to do a job that I am perfectly able to do myself. Then again I also dislike the having to pay for fuel before filling up that is the norm in USA - here in Australia you pump first then pay, unless you are at Costco.

 

[Genie+]

Who knew stores were still using paper bags lol

They seem very impractical because if you do a huge shop, how are you supposed to handle them all? I get using the cart at the store, but at home you’d have to make 10 trips to get them all lol

A common practice was double baggin - put paper into plastic, then it can hold 4 times the weight and has handles. Instead of carrying 12 of the thin weak plastic bags, you could do 4 of these. Especially helpful with canned goods, meats, frozen boxed foods, and anything heavy. Back when we still had plastic bags a few younger cashiers would bag only 2 or 3 items in each bag, probably trying to avoid more negative feedback about bags breaking or putting the wrong mix of items in one bag. Result was hilarious. Here I am with 16 bags to hold 30lbs of groceries.

eta- DH has done this a few times at the grocery store. It’s almost 4 feet tall!

I wasn’t there and I can’t imagine the look on other people‘s faces He always has a few of these in his truck.

 

[amylevan]

I’m going to be honest, the no-bag laws seem like such a feel good but actually do little measure. I can’t put my groceries in a plastic bag, but most of the food comes wrapped in plastic? I reuse plastic bags as trash can liners and dog poop bags, I don’t reuse the Doritos bag.

I live in Pa, near the NJ border. My grocery store still has free bags. I’ve been shopping on the NJ side of the river a few times and constantly forget that I need something to juggle my purchases. It’s frustrating.

 

[dizneegirl]

I reuse plastic bags as trash can liners and dog poop bags, I don’t reuse the Doritos bag.

Doritos bags would probably make a great poop bag. I reuse a lot of plastic packaging for trash...

 

[AurumPunzel]

I honestly think bag bans are counterproductive and consumer-unfriendly, since most alternatives are far worse than plastic, and there's still an environmental cost associated with bans. Once you replace lightweight plastic with paper and more substantial forms of plastic, people will still keep consuming them like they did pre-ban, and you'll then have an even greater waste problem, not to mention that reusable bags often contribute to a rise in thefts, particularly when it's compounded by the rise in self-service checkouts and living costs.

Here in the UK, most supermarkets now only do reusables for around 25p upwards to £1-2.50, but in recent years, some supermarkets have now implemented anti-theft measures such as requiring one to scan a receipt before exiting the store, putting high-value items behind locker cabinets, and more surveillance.

As for forgetfulness, I still often find myself having to buy new bags when I don't bring any or enough for my purchases, and before the thin vest bags were phased out, I at least reused them for my bathroom bins. Which makes me think that the whole reuse culture is bound to collapse once the unintended consequences comes to a head.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Here in the UK, most supermarkets now only do reusables for around 25p upwards to £1-2.50, but in recent years, some supermarkets have now implemented anti-theft measures such as requiring one to scan a receipt before exiting the store, putting high-value items behind locker cabinets, and more surveillance.

Gee sounds like living in the US, lol.

 

[AurumPunzel]

Gee sounds like living in the US, lol.

We're not too dissimilar. Though our climate hates paper bags so much, you'd be lucky if your purchases make it home intact and not soaked with rain water.

 

[wvjules]

I live in Montgomery County, MD and we've had a bag tax for years. It's .05 per bag. I always take my reusable bags with me to the store.

 

[focusondisney]

We can no longer throw out old clothing and cloth.

That’s just crazy! What area is this in? What are you supposed to do with it? Like you said, charities can’t take every worn, torn, stained or thread bare piece of cloth out there.

 

[tony67]

That’s just crazy! What area is this in? What are you supposed to do with it? Like you said, charities can’t take every worn, torn, stained or thread bare piece of cloth out there.

Yeah couches and mattresses as well. Now people just leave mattresses in fields and green areas etc..
Saw a lot more of that initially. We used to be able to have the town pick up one mattress or couch (or other large items) once a week.
Now they wont take couches or mattresses and there is a fee of 50 to take them, and you have to bring it to them.
I don't think the exceptions work for mattresses or couches - we had to pay the 50 after my dad passed and it was not something you could recycle.

https://turnto10.com/news/local/mas...ycling-reuse-donate-repurpose-november-1-2022

 

[RedAngie]

When I’m in NJ with less than half a tank of gas I usually fill up at the mandatory full service stations.

It’s my understanding that once every five years or so some NJ legislator floats the idea of self service gas and practically gets tarred and feathered over it.

Those opposed give all sorts of reasons, such as safety or employment but the real reason is convenience or laziness.

 

[Debbie Jean]

When I’m in NJ with less than half a tank of gas I usually fill up at the mandatory full service stations.

It’s my understanding that once every five years or so some NJ legislator floats the idea of self service gas and practically gets tarred and feathered over it.

Those opposed give all sorts of reasons, such as safety or employment but the real reason is convenience or laziness.

Or… maybe we’re protecting jobs? Similar argument from people who choose lines with cashiers rather than self checkout… they want to preserve jobs for those employees. But hey, maybe the real reason is “convenience and laziness”.

There are lots of jobs I don’t want, but others may depend on them.

Just a thought.

 

[focusondisney]

Yeah couches and mattresses as well. Now people just leave mattresses in fields and green areas etc..
Saw a lot more of that initially. We used to be able to have the town pick up one mattress or couch (or other large items) once a week.
Now they wont take couches or mattresses and there is a fee of 50 to take them, and you have to bring it to them.
I don't think the exceptions work for mattresses or couches - we had to pay the 50 after my dad passed and it was not something you could recycle.

https://turnto10.com/news/local/mas...ycling-reuse-donate-repurpose-november-1-2022

Thanks! I didn’t know there were companies that could recycle almost any cloth items. Don’t have any around here. Would be great if they were in more areas.