I live in a town where the grocery store clerks ask you if you want paper or plastic. When I first moved here, I was pleasantly surprised by the question. Admittedly, there are good and bad effects of using both kinds of bags. Usually I take my own cloth bags to the grocery store so it’s mostly not an issue for me. Tonight, however, was another story.
I went into my local Hy-Vee grocery store. They have this big marketing hype about being employee owned as if that rhetoric is supposed to persuade me that they offer better service because employees care because they own the place. I have to say that I usually do get good service when I am in there.
Tonight I ran in for a box of laundry detergent. That was the only thing that I bought. When I checked out, I didn’t get asked the question, “would you like paper or plastic?” Noooo. The young male clerk just plopped the box in a plastic bag. I stopped him immediately and said “I don’t need a bag.” And, what did he do?!? He took the box out of the bag and wadded up the bag and threw it away! Well, so then I’m miffed. I ask, “You’re just going to throw that away?” He’s like, “oh, sorry,” like he doesn’t even know why I said anything.
I thought about going over to customer service, but then it would be my luck to get someone equally clueless. So instead of complaining in the store, I thought to myself, I’ll just come home and blog it!
So, please, if some clerk who doesn’t know better offers you a plastic sack for one item, please say no thank you. Better yet, get a few cloth bags and take them with you when you buy groceries. As a small added benefit, you’ll find that they’re like coupons–most stores will give you $.05 for every bag that you take in and use.
Alternatively, I wish grocery stores here in the states would start charging $.05 for every paper or plastic sack we used.
Humph. All of this before I even get one load in the washer.