Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

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Alpha8472
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Re: Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

Post by Alpha8472 »

Many stores are having supply shortages of thick plastic bags due to COVID-19 supply problems. The manufacturers probably all switched to making cheaper thin bags. The only ones available at most stores now are thin bags. If the store tells them they have no bags customers will be angry. If you charge them for thin bags they will be angry too. The best solution is to keep the customers happy and give them free thin bags. Most people will be glad to get free bags. I do not know of any people who demand to be charged for bags.
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Re: Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

Post by storewanderer »

Alpha8472 wrote: August 1st, 2020, 8:34 pm Many stores are having supply shortages of thick plastic bags due to COVID-19 supply problems. The manufacturers probably all switched to making cheaper thin bags. The only ones available at most stores now are thin bags. If the store tells them they have no bags customers will be angry. If you charge them for thin bags they will be angry too. The best solution is to keep the customers happy and give them free thin bags. Most people will be glad to get free bags. I do not know of any people who demand to be charged for bags.
I would assume the environmentalist groups who pushed for these bag laws/bag fees are the only ones who care about charging people for bags. Oddly the stores who stand to make money from the process of charging people for bags don't seem to be too eager to do it.
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Re: Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

Post by Bagels »

My local Albertsons and Ralph’s are charging for bags once again. Albertsons is still using the traditional, “thin” bags. I only see the genetic type these days, that say “thank you” across them. They previously had Albertsons and Randall’s-branded bags. The paper bags at Albertsons and Pavilions still has the VONS branding.

Ralph’s is back to using the “thick,” reusable bags. They previously used traditional bags with Kroger, Fry’s Smith’s branding.

99 Cent Only is also charging for bags. They’re using the traditional, thin bags with their own branding.
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Re: Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

Post by storewanderer »

Bagels wrote: August 1st, 2020, 10:43 pm My local Albertsons and Ralph’s are charging for bags once again. Albertsons is still using the traditional, “thin” bags. I only see the genetic type these days, that say “thank you” across them. They previously had Albertsons and Randall’s-branded bags. The paper bags at Albertsons and Pavilions still has the VONS branding.

Ralph’s is back to using the “thick,” reusable bags. They previously used traditional bags with Kroger, Fry’s Smith’s branding.

99 Cent Only is also charging for bags. They’re using the traditional, thin bags with their own branding.
So they are charging a fee for the thin bags? That is not something I've seen done in any of the NorCal Stores. That is pretty good- those bags cost about 1.5 cents each so to sell for 10 cents each is perhaps the highest mark up item in the store!

Technically the law says they must charge for bags.. but it also says they must provide a thick bag. What a mess.
TW-Upstate NY
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Re: Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

As of yesterday, Price Chopper/Market 32 has gotten rid of thin plastic and is again offering paper only and charging for them-.05 for "regular" paper bags and .15 for paper with handles. They are again allowing reusable bags and here's where it gets confusing. Initially, the story was the customer had to pack their own items if they brought reusables in but there was an article in yesterday's paper which supposedly quoted from a company press release that customers would NOT have to bag their own items if they brought reusables in. I'm at a loss to even try and figure it all out. As long as we have a hodgepodge of different laws/rules/regulations (different ones state by state, chain by chain and even city by city), the goal of these bag bans is really counterintuitive and serves no purpose except to confuse and confound the consumer.
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Re: Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

Post by submariner »

I went to Ralphs today and didn't realize they had stopped using the thin bags, and I left my reusable bags in the car. I almost always use self-checkout, so I grabbed a short stack of paper bags to use. I didn't actually pay for the bags, using the 'brought my own bag' button used previously when they didn't charge and selecting "no bags" at the end... I was never questioned or told different, so 🤷‍♂️
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Re: Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

Post by Alpha8472 »

Most employees will not charge you if you complain. Ten cents is not something worth losing a customer over. Is there a government force that enforces the bag fee? Prove that the store did not charge a customer ten cents. Just try to take it to court or call the police. Nothing will be done. The government will not waste money on such things.
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Re: Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

Post by storewanderer »

submariner wrote: August 2nd, 2020, 7:01 pm I went to Ralphs today and didn't realize they had stopped using the thin bags, and I left my reusable bags in the car. I almost always use self-checkout, so I grabbed a short stack of paper bags to use. I didn't actually pay for the bags, using the 'brought my own bag' button used previously when they didn't charge and selecting "no bags" at the end... I was never questioned or told different, so 🤷‍♂️
Look at it this way: you brought in reusable bags when there was no bag fee and didn't take any bags on those trips. Technically you had some bags coming. Many customers press "0" for number of bags used on self checkouts and take a bag or two bags. Nobody cases. I noticed this up in Canada where stores charge for bags as well while waiting in line. In rural NorCal when I do not use self checkout, I find often I am not charged for bags by the cashiers. Even in San Mateo County a couple years back where the bag fee is .25 I went into one large chain drug store and two different regional grocers and received a bag at each store at no cost- and yes my items were bagged before I paid so they could have charged for the bag had they wanted to. Safeway was greedily collecting its .25 bag fee though. Oh, I guess it is the "law" to collect the fee. Yes. That's right. I am more likely to be charged when I use self checkout.
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Re: Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

Post by storewanderer »

Santa Cruz County has suspended its 25 cent bag fee during Coronavirus. It isn't clear if thin bags are allowed or not.
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/ ... usinesses/

I think this is the first I've seen in CA one of the local areas suspending the fee. 25 cent bag fee. Yeesh. I wonder if stores there were charging a 25 cent fee for thin plastic bags... (at a cost of 1.5 cents each that is a heck of a profit machine for stores that actually were charging the fee if any were actually charging it)...
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Re: Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

Aside from Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops, pretty much everybody else is business as usual around here in regards to bags. Hannaford and Wal-Mart are using thin plastic and Target is using (and NOT charging for them) paper bags with handles. I just wish there was one coherent policy and every store would follow it-this one is using plastic and not charging, this one is using paper and charging, this one is using paper and not charging-sheesh! It frustrates the daylights out of the consumer.
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