Please, TAKE A BAG!

I have to share a very strange exchange I had while shopping this past weekend.

I was in a store in an upscale shopping area, returning something I had purchased that was defective. After browsing for a while, I decided on an additional item to buy and I went to the till to complete both transactions – the return and the new purchase.

I would love to say the transaction was simple and the shop assistant was oozing customer service goodness, but sadly this was not the case – returning the item was difficult and a bit fraught. Finally, all was resolved and the assistant wrapped my new purchase in tissue paper. Then she reached for one of the store’s glossy bags with cord handles – you know the kind.

I said “No thank you” to the bag, and reached for my trusty organic cotton shopping bag. Admittedly my bag has seen better days, is a bit grubby, and has the odd thread hanging from it (must cut those off). But imagine my surprise when the shop assistant looked at my bag with abject horror and said, “No, PLEASE, take a bag.”

I responded, “No thank you, I’m fine,” and stowed my purchase. Even as I was walking away, she was holding out the bag as an offering, saying “Please, it’s the least we can do! They’re nice bags!”

And they were nice bags. And they might have even been recyclable (once you cut the handles off), but I didn’t want – or need – one. Although this was a bit of an extreme example, versions of this exchange happen to me with remarkable frequency. People in shops often look at me like I’m slightly nuts when I refuse a bag, or ask them to put product in my own container.

I’m not nuts (I hope)

I know I’m not the only one out there bringing my own bags. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, we used 4 BILLION plastic shopping bags per year in 2005, down from nearly 6 billion in 2002. I’m sure we’re using even fewer now. But that’s still 10 million bags a day. 429,000 recyclable plastic supermarket bags are dumped in landfill EVERY HOUR.

We’ve become accustomed to bringing our own “green” bags to the grocery store, and the grocery chains are actively promoting their reusable bags in point-of-sale displays. In fact, the supermarket sector was most successful of all between 2002 and 2005 and reduced their plastic bag distribution by 45%.

The challenge now is to expand that success. Some retailers have taken giant steps voluntarily. In 2003 Bunnings introduced a levy of 10 cents per plastic bag, the proceeds of which it donated to Keep Australia Beautiful. As a result, they managed to reduce the number of bags they distributed by 99%.

Another way to change behaviour is to legislate. China has banned HDPE plastic bags (the kind you get in the supermarket) altogether. Ireland imposed a 15 euro-cent levy and use dropped by 90%. Locally, the Town of East Fremantle and the City of Albany have strategies in place to become plastic-bag free.

You can do without them … really

There are more and more reusable bag options available, so there are fewer excuses for accepting that bag when offered (or pushed!). Check out one of my favourites, a local Fremantle company called OnyaBags. Or another Australian company, Envirosax. Some retailers are even giving reusable bags free with purchase – although I’m a little concerned that we’re all going to end up with an oversupply these too, and they’re usually not recyclable! (Imagine the concerned looks I get when I refuse REUSABLE bags.)

Next time someone automatically puts your purchase in a bag, plastic or otherwise, think about whether you really need it, or pull out a reusable instead.

Remember the average plastic bag is used for 5 minute and takes 1000 years to go away.