About Those Reusable Shopping Bags

Some stores are really into it, and some are just giving it lip services.

Whole Foods is doing a great job. They give you 10 cents off your total purchase for every bag they don't have to give you. In addition, they have both paper and plastic and don't appear all judgy if you use them. They are, however, pretty smug in their eco-whateverness.

Half Price Books, as I mentioned, has the reusable bags, with logo, for sale at their store for 98 cents. When they don't have to give you a bag, they donate a nickel to some Earth-friendly charitable organizations. Not sure I like that because the green fanatics scare me, but points for putting your money where your mouth is.

I took my bags to the Jewel today. Standard grocery store. Have you noticed that you can't buy real food at Whole Foods? Coke, for example. So I do not accept that one can live on Whole Foods alone. Anyway.

I hand my bags to the cashier, asking that they be used first. She looked at them like she didn't know what they were. Once she figured out that I had the nerve to use NotJewel Reusable Bags at the Jewel, we got on with it. When they were full (over-full if you ask me), she asked whether I wanted paper or plastic for the rest of my purchases. Paper. I used paper bags for my recycling at home, anyway. As I am walking out, I see that the paper bag was placed inside a white plastic bag.

I realize this isn't "mission critical" for the grocery store, but really. If you are going to get on board, get your people on board, too.