‘No big deal’: Customers, retailers not worried about plastic bag ban

“Honestly because we put up the signs that the city sent out really early, it was really surprising how our customers were like, ‘okay that’s a change,’ and seemed to be, like, no big deal,” Wasilla Fred Meyer Assistant Store Manager Brenda Landers said. “Most of them are a little bit worried whether we were going to charge for bags or not, and we’re not.”

Some shoppers took larger items that never would have fit in a plastic bag out on their own. Others with small shopping lists decided to forego the bag altogether and carry their groceries out in hand. Most Fred Meyer shoppers got one of three sizes of paper bags that did not cost them anything. The new bags do cause a small hassle for cashiers.

“It’s just more time consuming because you have to stand there and open them all up. With the plastic bags they open up as soon as you tear the next one off so it’s just more time consuming,” said cashier trainer Elizabeth Chapman.

Besides the environmental impact, there is another benefit to the paper bags being distributed by Fred Meyer.

“They hold more though,” said Chapman.

Chapman has worked for Fred Meyer for six-and-a-half years. She says it hasn’t been much of a pain, but that it’s just different to get used to putting groceries in paper bags. She did not hear many objections from shoppers. Chapman herself has used reusable bags for five years.

Julie Sain checked out her groceries in Chapman’s line. Sain brought her own florally decorated reusable bags for her groceries. She listed many uses for reusable plastic bags, but identified the overlying problem for shoppers in Wasilla who do not have single use plastic bags available to them anymore. Sain has trouble remembering to bring the bags from home.

Wasilla WalMart shopper Sheila Monson echoed Sain’s disdain for having to remember to bring reusable bags. WalMart is handing out biodegradable bags that look and feel almost exactly like single use plastic bags, but do not have negative effects on the environment. According to what cashiers have been telling shoppers, WalMart will begin charging 10 cents per biodegradable bag on July 5.

WalMart in-store managers were unable to offer comment, as was the store manager for Target.

“In a couple days when they take these away and they’re not handing those out and it’s 10 cents a piece, that might be a bit more of a little hassle,” Monson said. “It’s just a new habit to get used to.”

The Wasilla City Council voted to ban single use plastic bags on Jan. 8, and the ban took effect on July 1. Palmer voted to ban single use plastic bags on May 22 and their ban will take effect on Jan. 1, 2019.

Landers said Fred Meyer does not have a surplus of plastic bags hanging around. They knew the ban was coming up and sent what they didn’t use to the Fred Meyer stores in Anchorage.

Target shopper Alexis Barfield was happy about the change.

“I think it will have an impact. I think it will be for the best because it will help the environment. Honestly, I don’t think we really need plastic bags. We can just be responsible citizens and bring our own.”