Coming from Europe where many stores require you to pay extra for plastic bags, it has been quite a surprise moving to a country where packaging is given to you like confetti thrown at a wedding. Here in America cashiers have the habit of giving you as much unnecessary packaging as possible before you can stop them.
What’s Unnecessary?
I receive fifteen napkins when I really need one; double bagging seems to be the norm; I get enough plastic cutlery to feed a small class; and the items I buy are then embellished with extra packaging to hold it securely in place. This seems to be the cultural norm in the US and I have therefore embarked on an experiment to see how the norm can be changed.
Here’s the experiment:
When purchasing a box of noodles in Grand Central last week, I quickly stated to cashier, “I don’t need a bag”. (You have to be quick as they bag at lightning speed).
The man then quickly grabbed some plastic knives and forks so I jumped in and said, “I don’t need them, I have cutlery in the office”. He stopped and then put the cutlery back.
By the time he reached for the napkins, he hesitated, paused, and then looked at me and said, “Do you need any napkins as well, maam?”. I then smiled and said, “Yes sir, just one, please.”
A great conversation then ensued about packaging and waste. He told me that he agreed there was a lot of waste in the U.S. and I informed him of a few facts.
The next time you’re in a store and the cashier tries to load you up without thinking, start a conversation yourself.
Think of the possibilities…
We eat 3 times a day. This represents 3 opportunities a day to educate someone about waste. Tell your friends and family to say “no” to plastic bags and napkins when they purchase food. Together, we can change the cultural norm of the thoughtless giveaway of packaging to those times when only absolutely necessary.
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August 9, 2012 at 2:11 pm
I wholeheartedly agree that modeling less wasteful behavior and engaging in conversations about it can be a powerful educational tool. And store clerks and cashiers are key intermediaries and opinion leaders who can help us change the social norm regarding bag usage here in the U.S.
I shifted to bringing my own bags a few years ago (a string bag is always in my purse, and the trunk of my car is filled with cloth grocery bags). At first, the cashiers seemed annoyed when I (politely) stopped them from automatically placing my purchases in plastic so I could carry them in my own reusable bags. I suppose I was disrupting their customary work flow. Attempts to engage them in conversation about reducing waste and saving resources were not always fruitful. But I sense a definite sea change these days, in part because of new store policies that reward bag re-use (e.g., the CVS “Green Bag Tag”). http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detail/CVSpharmacy-Green-Bag-Tag—Tag-your-reusable-bag-and-get-1-ExtraBuck-Rewards-every-4th-visit?skuId=724975
I’m not in the majority yet, but at least the cashiers don’t look at me like I have two heads. And it’s so much faster and more efficient for me to pack the groceries in my own bags as they scan them, that it helps their work flow as well.
Last week I handed my string bag to the young counterman at the local deli so he could use it to pack up my sandwiches and drinks, and he smiled and voiced his approval. Then the owner/manager saw the string bag and enthusiastically showed it off to some of the other customers, saying that he remembered using them when he was growing up in Germany. So not only did I prevent the waste of at least one paper bag and one large plastic bag (their usual packaging technique at the deli), but my simple action stimulated a bit of “buzz” and hopefully got the manager, clerks and other customers to think about the possibilities…
September 17, 2012 at 10:36 pm
Thanks for sharing! This “buzz” can inspire people to change behaviors!
August 16, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Karen I agree with you. Many people do not think about the impacts of their individual actions. The mantra, “Think Globally Act Locally” fits in with waste awareness because people need to realize by receiving new plastic bags with every purchase is a “local” and individual problem that has a global impact. 60,000 plastic bags are used every five seconds in the US. Trader Joe’s entices shoppers with a ticket to be part of a gift card raffle if they bring their own tote bag.
However, it may be easy for some people to reject the nameless white or black thin plastic bags. What about the other shopping bags?
Have you ever walked through a mall or shopping district and seen shoppers proudly hold their large shopping bags with store names and logos? How will we change that behavior?
September 17, 2012 at 10:40 pm
It would be great if stores encouraged people to bring in their own bags, and in return, the store rewards the person with a free “experience” (e.g. a chance to meet the designer or a free movie ticket). Maybe if the incentive was interesting enough, people would want to get rewarded with an experience rather than parading around the mall with a big-logo bag?
August 21, 2012 at 10:49 pm
You-guys are right on, and thank you for inspiring me to use all those old tote bags that are hanging useless by my door. But I must confess that I will continue to ask for some plastic bags. Why? Because I use them to line my garbage container and all the trash baskets in other rooms. If I didn’t do that, I’d just have to buy new bags, thus also encouraging their manufacture. And don’t you regularly need some for packaging odds and ends? Excess accumulation can be bundled up and dumped in the recycle bin at the supermarket entrance. Incidentally, our supermarket is now recycling egg cartons, too. As for those gorgeous shopping bags, I use them to transport all sorts of stuff that I don’t want to be cramped. Any excess goes into the paper recycling bin. Besides, I don’t have very many, as I’m a lousy consumer! When I do shop, I often ask the cashier to just add the item to the contents of another bag I’m carrying (so much for their logo!): one less bag to keep track of.
September 17, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Good point about the bags- while I do generallly bring my own bags for shopping, it is a necessary evil to sometimes need them for the household, and if reusing grocery/big box store bags for this cuts down on the manufacture of packaged ones and saves money, that’s a plus.
September 8, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Some stores encourage reuse of bags by giving a few cents back for each bag a customer brings in. I doubt the money back is the motivation for most who are reusing bags – those people (like me) are doing so to create less waste…. but I wonder…. if soon stores will start charging for new bags given. That might make people more mindful of the whole situation and maybe once they think about it, more people will reuse bags when shopping.
September 17, 2012 at 4:34 am
Agreed! When it comes to this stuff, a little mindfulness goes a long way.
September 17, 2012 at 5:13 pm
I bought 2 items at CVS the other day, and instead of automatically bagging them, the cashier asked me if I wanted a bag. Hooray! Maybe it is becoming their policy to ask first when it’s just a couple of items. (I didnt take the bag).
September 17, 2012 at 10:43 pm
That’s good to hear! Next time, you should also “praise” the cashier person for doing so as it makes them feel good. For example, someone at Duade Reade once asked me if I needed a bag – I then praised him for asking and we had a conversation about waste. I think I spurred him encouragement to continue this behavior!
November 14, 2012 at 9:32 pm
I have always tried to bring my reusable bags to the grocery store, but it wasn’t until I lived in London that there became a consequence if I didn’t remember (albeit small). Then I made sure to have at least one reusable bag with me at all times in my purse. I love Envirosax (http://www.envirosax.com/) – they’re cute, easily roll up, sturdy, washable, and I always keep 2 in my purse because they take up so little room. And with the holidays around the corner, they make great stocking stuffers!
I agree with some of the other commenters about the need for keeping a stash of plastic and shopping tote bags around the house. They definitely come in handy on occasion, but I try to limit my “stash”.
Lastly, as another has noted, I think CVS must be telling their employees to ask if you need a bag first without automatically bagging your items as I’ve had this happen to me as well. Perhaps it’s in line with their Greenbagtag campaign (http://www.cvs.com/promo/promoLandingTemplate.jsp?promoLandingId=greenbagtag) which rewards you for bringing your own reusable bag.
November 26, 2012 at 10:02 am
Having once worked as a cashier, I have to point out that cashiers can get in trouble for not over-bagging things. I speak from experience. I hated using plastic bags, and would fill each bag completely before using another. Turns out there are lots of people who want their meat in one bag, fish in another, cereal box in another, etc., and who treat you badly for being so stupid as to package them all together. It’s not that all cashiers want to waste bags, it’s that cashiers can’t always predict personal philosophies.
Although some cashiers have stopped me from bagging my groceries straight into my backpack. I think they took it personally that I’m on the opposite side of our country’s culture war – that soon, people like me will be making people like them pay a few cents for their wasteful habits.
November 28, 2012 at 10:46 am
Kylie – thanks for sharing your experience of working as a cashier. It sounds like supermarkets need to educate their staff that it’s ok to package things together so that becomes the norm rather than getting in trouble for appearing ‘stupid’ by not separating items in different bags.
A few practical things they could teach:
1) To simply ask each customer, “Do you need a bag?” before bagging
2) To not automatically double bag unless it’s a particularly heavy bag and to once again ask, “Do you need me to double bag this?”
3) If the customer rebukes, to educate staff to say it’s for environmental reasons and reducing the use of plastic bags can make a big difference!