5-pence for a Plastic Grocery Bag in the U.K.

YORK, England, U.K.

"Paper or plastic?" We hear that all the time purchasing groceries in the USA and answer without much thought. Although personally, I tried to avoid ‘paper or plastic’ by using the same reusable grocery bags made of canvas for close to a decade now, an older one from Wellcome (Hong Kong grocery store) and two from Safeway. Not only do you help the environment by reducing the consumption of plastic and paper bags, Safeway (and other grocery stores) credits you 3 cents for every reusable bag you use. In those rare instances I don't have my reusable bags, I've never had to pay for the plastic or paper ones the supermarkets put my groceries in. Never had to pay one until now...

The first time I bought grocery from the Marks & Spencer (M&S) on Princes Street in Edinburgh, I found it slightly odd (but the oddness quickly passed since I was going only on one hour of sleep that day) that the cashier was offering me a big 'lifetime' M&S plastic bag for a certain amount, I told her nicely that the ‘regular’ plastic one was fine. I absentmindedly put away the receipt without giving it further thought. Here in York, while purchasing sandwiches and drinks for the four-hour train ride to Bath, I was once again asked if I wanted a big 'lifetime' M&S plastic bag, I said with a little hint of irritation, "No thank you, the small one is perfectly fine." Having slept well since that first day arriving in Edinburgh, I noticed that in addition to my groceries, the cashier scanned a bar code from a laminated card she had in front of her. After she handed me the receipt, I immediately examined it and to my surprise, found I was charged 5 pence for the plastic bag!

Leaving M&S slightly stunned, I was beginning to notice that almost everyone in York, those coming out of M&S or walking the commercial streets, were carrying some sort of reusable bag, ranging in size from the ones I had back home to bigger ones the size of large department store bags from Bloomingdale’s or Macy's. I thought it was a smart way to encourage people to be more mindful of reducing the consumption of non-biodegradable plastic, especially when it affects your wallet; and 5-pence adds up over time. I wonder what it would take to implement something similar in the U.S.A., and if your average American consumer will protest at being charged 3 cents for every plastic or paper bag at checkout. It is important to note though that money raised from the sale of the M&S plastic bags go to an environmental charity. In any case, one can argue, if a supermarket credits you 3 cents for a reusable bag, shouldn’t they be able to charge you 3 cents for every plastic or paper bag they put your groceries in?

The next time I travel overseas, I’ll consider packing a reusable grocery bag, or better yet, purchase one there, it will serve as an interesting souvenir and an even more interesting conversation piece at the checkout line back home.