I want to speak to a manager.

[csdrone]

Plastic Bags come in handy when walking the dog and for carrying lunches. I guess the SC has never been to Aldi?

[StarsAreFixed]

Ha, here plastic bags cost €0.22! You scan the barcode on the bag and it comes up 'Gov levy €0.22', so yes, it's added to the transaction. We get a lot of SC's who demand plastic bags because it's raining, then stare in disgust when we explain all we have are really large plastic sack things and they'll have to go down to grocery... There's 'Bags for Life' too, the really strong ones, they're €1.

[digilight]

Actually, in this case they're following their credit card merchant contracts which state that they may not charge extra for using a card.

If I remember correctly from my merchant account contract, that is actually against the agreement. I don't believe that you are allowed to allow a cash discount over a CC price. Strike that, I just re-read and realized that a merchant is allowed to offer a discounted cash price but is not allowed to have a percentage surchage for CC use.

and they sell plastic basket carriers (which last forever) and canvas bags. Most stores now sell canvas/plastic carriers so you can do your shopping without the use of more plastic bags that get thrown into the garbage.

Personally, we use one of those plastic carriers (like a small laundry basket) and we reuse plastic bags from stores when Grocery Shopping. Those canvas bags can come in handy for work and carrying your lunch in, etc. etc. Useful stuff.

If these are the larger blue carrier bags they kick ass. The wife picked up some down comforters for us and the kids and had to get a couple of these. They were only 50 cents each and seem very heavy duty (and quite large too).

[Becks]

If anyone needs plastic bags, let me know. I have many more than is good for a person...even with using them as garbage bags...


Oh, and have I mentioned lately how I HATE when the baggers try to put my milk gallons in a bag? It has a handle for a reason, you know.

[Tria]

They are most probably one of those idiots who has a draw full of unused plastic bags and does not care about the enviroment.

I have a bag full of bags.... It's not that I don't care about the environment, they make good bathroom trash bags.... So I'm at least reusing.

[42_42_42]

We keep some of the plastic bags for trash and kitty box cleanup, but the bulk (95%) are recycled (the store even has a big bin for this). We just take the bags from the previous trip and deposit them in the recycle bin on the way into the store.

[rerant]

. . .and am being told that I have to pay 5 cents more to get my purchases to my car.
I admit I felt tricked.

Depending on where you live we had been advertising this in the papers, in radio commercials and in-store signs since June, 2007, before finally starting to sell them in October.
I can only speak for my area, and more specifically my store, but I know we made every effort possible to let customers know of the change, even going so far as leaving pallets of bags (in boxes) in front of every lane with big signs that explain the charge and which organization the money is going to.

And you don't have to pay anything to get your things to your car. Carts are always available and so long as you have your receipt when you leave you won't be hassled when you leave with un-bagged merchandise.

We also have gigantic reusable blue bags for $1, that we were actually selling for 50cents for a few months before we started charging for the plstic ones.
And those things are HUUUUGE and they last pretty much forever.

[poofy_puff]

Plastic Bags come in handy when walking the dog and for carrying lunches. I guess the SC has never been to Aldi?

You can use the plastic bags that come on bread and other food items that cannot be recycled for the dog-walk clean-up. I stuff all my "plain" (non-food-packaging) #2 and #4 bags into the recycle at the grocery store entrance. These are recycled along with sawdust into lumber and other construction materials.

[poofy_puff]

If anyone needs plastic bags, let me know. I have many more than is good for a person...even with using them as garbage bags...


Oh, and have I mentioned lately how I HATE when the baggers try to put my milk gallons in a bag? It has a handle for a reason, you know.

I hate it when they put heavy items with sharp corners into plastic bags, bonus points if they double-bag (two ripped bags are always better than one).

One day I am going to post about my pet-peeves on bagging groceries, but I just don't have the energy to do so right now. I bet they would have an SC nickname for me (I really don't suck ON PURPOSE) like, "Here comes Basket-Lady" but I don't think I use the same cashiers often enough.

[Anriana]

We've had the system of paying for grocery bags for years (I'm in Ontario, Canada). Costs range from 5cents-15cents per plastic bag. The store provides free boxes (left overs from shipments) to the customers and they sell plastic basket carriers (which last forever) and canvas bags. Most stores now sell canvas/plastic carriers so you can do your shopping without the use of more plastic bags that get thrown into the garbage.

Personally, we use one of those plastic carriers (like a small laundry basket) and we reuse plastic bags from stores when Grocery Shopping. Those canvas bags can come in handy for work and carrying your lunch in, etc. etc. Useful stuff.

This is what Aldi's has always done. They also have a cart system where you have to deposit a quarter in order to borrow one of their carts and don't get it back until you return the cart to the rack.

Of course, their groceries are super cheap and it's fun playing hide and seek with the empty boxes.