Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/06/10/grocer-designed-embarrassing-p.html
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7 Likes
Why not just stop supplying plastic bags at all?
22 Likes
Why not print the designs onto cloth bags instead?
20 Likes
Umm I would so so so so pay the extra to walk down the street with those.
29 Likes
My town (Hillsboro, OR) just banned plastic bags in groceries and most other retail outlets.
Paper bags cost a nickel.
I pretty much bring reusables with me, so not a big deal.
OTOH the occasional plastic bag I brought home was handy for storing compost / meat-juicy garbage, which I store separately and out of reach of the dog.
Also handy for putting stuff in going into the fridge. Like a plate of leftovers.
12 Likes
Weird creative shopping bags? Oh no, Br’er Fox, not the briar patch! Anything but the briar patch!
12 Likes
If the effect of printing quirky kitch onto plastic bags is driving people to covet them why not capture that same attention for reusable bags? Trajectory is obvious.
35 Likes
I just wish every grocery store in Brooklyn didn’t automatically double bag everything. I gave up trying to say I didn’t wan’t them. The poor people seem hassled enough working the checkout and are on auto-pilot. Asking them to do something different than they are used to results in exasperated looks. I can only imagine - my theory is - that they get reprimanded by other customers if they don’t double bag and so they do it every time just to avoid the stress…
10 Likes
raw chicken in a reusable bag is fun.
9 Likes
Too bad it backfired. They are pretty funny. They seem to be slanted towards dudes. I guess they’re the major offender? I use “Chico bags” most of the time, but aren’t most of these “supermarket style” shopping bags recyclable? They’re marked “2” and I always bin them with the rest of the “2” plastics when I do get them. Even though I have re-usable bags that are way better than paper or plastic and have been for a couple of decades, I wish recycling was more effective and easier. Why we haven’t mandated all packing be easily recyclable is beyond me.
1 Like
Yeah. That’s one of those instances I ask for a plastic bag because it’s absolutely disgusting when the packing fails which is about 75% of the time. But I do recycle the bag.
5 Likes
Banning non-reusable bags would be the way to go, but until everyone brings their bags all the time, there needs to be something. Studies have shown that charging extra for bags reduces use significantly (more than a discount for bringing your own bag) but I don’t think anyone has looked at how shaming might influence behavior. Either way, I think this is really just a fun way to bring attention to the problem, not intended to be the ultimate solution.
7 Likes
Oh, this inspires so, so many bad ideas…
I get my reusable bags from a chaotic, bulk-sale thrift store in my neighborhood. Unfortunately, the really good ones tend to advertise stores I personally don’t want to advertise/endorse* - Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, somebody’s motivational seminar…
I’m now considering spraypainting over the cluttered, visually intrusive graphics of those bags and stenciling my own fake brands onto them.
*If you are a big fan of these stores, it doesn’t bother me. You do you, baby. I just don’t happen to like their food.
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Don’t worry. That’s about to change soon…
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except Sahadi. And their single bags are nice and thick. That’s actually the only store that I actually forego using my own bags because I specifically like to line my bathroom trashcan with theirs.
ETA: Alongside stigmatizing plastic bags, to finally succeed we need to destigmatize riding the subway with a backpack on (and yes, we backpack folks will try to turn around more carefully…sorry, ma’am)
8 Likes
Exactly. I can’t remember the last time I bought trash bags.
8 Likes
That’s good… but… we’ll see… my bet is that unless they strictly enforce it like they do with undercover cops fining bars for not checking IDs, most places will either ignore the rule or just add the fee automatically and keep on as usual…
2 Likes
NY is huge, so I’m sure you’re right to a certain degree, but New Paltz banned plastic bags a few years ago and it’s gone quite well. Of course, there are probably .01% of the retail establishments compared to NYC, but even if 75% complied that’s still, like (checks math) a 75% reduction.
I think the biggest overhead is just the fear of any consumer backlash. If the retailers can just blame it on the state, they’ll probably be fine with complying.
4 Likes
Use a thin small produce bag around the raw meat to guard your cloth bag.
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