Bags of Change: Carrot Better Than Stick
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 01.30.08
As we reported previously, folks like San Francisco, China, Australia, IKEA and Whole Foods are jumping aboard the ban wagon with regard plastic shopping bags. Ireland took a different approach years ago with their PlastTax of a several pence per bag, but consumers soon grew accustomed to this and the tax was increased.
But the UK’s ‘Bags of Change’ has really engaged the grey matter on this issue. Their creative out-of-the-box thinking avoids those stick type approaches. Instead, Bags of Change encourages responsible shopping bag use by dangling a tasty carrot. In short you get a discount at any participating store into which you to take their funky organic hemp-cotton or Amazonian latex bags. So far over 50 stores are involved. It’s such a simple, yet innovative idea that founders, school teacher Faith Simpson, and researcher Dr Hugh Willbourn scored big at the 2007 Green England Awards picking up ‘Best Green Company.’ Learn more at ::Bags of Change.
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I have some reusable bags that I bought at Trader Joes, and I can tell you that Winco here in Northern CA has been doing this for some time now. Whenever I go to pay for my groceries, I let the cashier know how many bags I bought, and I get 6¢ off for each bag. Now, a total of 24¢ off each time I go shopping with my four bags isn't much, but at something like a buck a bag, they paid themselves off quickly. Plus, I found that the even better thing is that each bag holds about twice as many groceries as your standard plastic bag.
Funny I was just talking to my friend today about how it would be great if stores rewarded you for using your own bag. I think it’s slightly poor that you have to use one of their bags though, kind of limits it.
Also my biggest complaint with almost all of these is the femininity of all these reusable, recycled shopping bags. I'm a young guy and pretty open to a softer male image but please can we have something a little bit more gender neutral or male specific?
Yes, I really wish someone would design a men's version of these bags. I don't care about making a fashion statement, what I want is something that I can cram all my groceries into without it falling apart. I would gladly use a canvas bag if it had comfortable handles and was large enough and strong enough to take the place of 3 or 4 plastic bags.
Scott, these are pretty gender neutral (I have a few in black):
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/chicobag-colorful-compact-reusable-shopping-p-450.html
J
Scott and Chris,
I just went to a SaveMart yesterday, and like Winco, they didn't care that my bags were bought elsewhere. I got 5¢ off for each bag. That's two stores local to me that I know of. Do you have a Trader Joes where you're at? Their bags are manly enough for me. Thay've got a semi-Hawaiian look to them, and come in red or blue. I also have some nice simple canvas bags that I picked up for a couple of dimes at a thrift store, so check there, as well.
It's great that there are other stores that will give you 5-6c off your purchases if you bring your own bag.
However, maybe I should've been more specific about about Bags of Change. Using one of their bags could land you a discount between 5% and 15% off your shopping, which is a substantial incentive to avoid plastic bags.
If not in the UK where this scheme operates, you can still escape the "Plastic or Paper?" conundrum by taking your own favourite bags shopping, be they a macho black day pack or flower stencilled tote. You don't need a specifically designed 'shopping bag' to embrace reuse.
Over 30 years ago, my mother was toting brown paper grocery bags back and forth to Safeway for her 5 cent/bag discount. It is amazing to me that it has taken bans on plastic bags for the general public to become aware of this. If only the grocery stores would have promoted this more, they might have avoided state legislation forcing them to provide programs.
Just a coment
I have been taking my canvas bags with me shopping for years and the only incentive I had to use them was knowing I was helping the environment and that is good to me.
Zig
Our HEB store provides awesome re-usable bags that are also washable - hold a LOT and have nice long handles easy to carry. wish ALL USA stores would stop using plastic unless you pay for it and switch over to the re-usable bags. Europe has been doing it for years now. IKEA, Whole Foods and few others are doing away with plastic too ....
I live in San Diego. Jimbo's offers a choice when I bring my own bags...a nickel off for each bag or a "wooden" nickel. I can then add the wooden nickel to the charity box of my choice after the checkout stand. At the end of the month, the wooden nickels in all 4 boxes are made into real money and donated.
AND, they offer a senior discount. They are the best! Great organic produce, healthy products, knowledgeable and friendly staff..
C
I love this idea, too. Smart and efficient!
Here in Portland, Oregon, the places I shop have these programs:
Trader Joe's has a raffle that you can enter only if you have not used any plastic or paper bags for your purchase.
Fred Meyer's gives you $.05 per bag that you use instead of paper or plastic. We get a lot of food for the house so that turns out to be $ 0.30 a trip to the store.
These aren't huge savers or rewards in themselves, but the measures show appreciation on the part of the retailer for your personal efforts at reducing waste...
Which is nice.
:0)