[bootlegga]

It pisses me off that because Toronto enacted a bylaw to force stores to charge for plastic bags, lots of national chains have simply rolled out that fee nationwide, and now make a small killing for something they always provided in the past.

Superstore always charged for bags (at least as far as I know), so I don't have a complaint with them, but stores like Rona, Toys R Us and Zellers all now charge for plastic bags.

And yes, I realize it's only 5 cents, however, if each company sees a million customers over say one fiscal quarter (probably low, but I'm spitballing here) and each one buys a bag, that's $50000!

For me, it's the principle of the matter that irks me. Toronto rolled it out to get people to bring their own bags and conserve, not so a bunch of huge corporations could increase their bottom line. Of course, they present it as an effort to help the rest of us conserve, but it's really nothing more than another cash grab. Greedy fuckers!

And the worst part is that most of those stores (Zellers, Toys R Us) don't even bother to tell you that they are charging you that 5 cents, it just shows up on your bill!

[Choban]

$1:

And the worst part is that most of those stores (Zellers, Toys R Us) don't even bother to tell you that they are charging you that 5 cents, it just shows up on your bill!

This is really the only aspect of the whole thing that I have an issue with. My wife has been buying canvas shopping bags for years and both our cars are stocked with them, I don't pay for plastic bags because I don't use them.

[Brenda]

They should sell larger, reusable bags. These plastic shitty bags suck.

Also, an alternative is cardboard boxes, that get thrown away now. The local store here does it, but the big ones in the "city" don't. I already told them they should, but all they come up with is "where should we stock them??" Please...

[Guy_Fawkes]

They tried it out in NB a while back...

When I lived out west Superstore charged for bags and the carts took a $1 deposit. When I moved out to the east coast, not only did I learn carts do not take a deposit here no where did they charge for bags. That was until several months ago, Superstore decided to roll out bio-degradable bags and charged 10 cents a piece. Sobeys however did not charge for bags, so Superstore took a large hit in sales. Within 6 months Superstore stopped charging for bags but still gives out the bio-degradeable ones.

If I was forced to pay for bags I would end up bringing my own cloth bags to stores.

[kenmore]

All stores or most anyway are charging for them.. It sucks when you go to the Bay or Zellers and spend a few hundred bucks and they ask if you would like a bag! I think people should boycott these stores. Its ridiculous! I just came back from NYC and it was nice not to be gouged by paying for bags. Now they are charging the HST and a enviro surcharge and that goes on the bags as well. You can't always carry bags and if you use grocery bags over and over its not hygienic..

[Brenda]

kenmore kenmore:

All stores or most anyway are charging for them.. It sucks when you go to the Bay or Zellers and spend a few hundred bucks and they ask if you would like a bag! I think people should boycott these stores. Its ridiculous! I just came back from NYC and it was nice not to be gouged by paying for bags. Now they are charging the HST and a enviro surcharge and that goes on the bags as well. You can't always carry bags and if you use grocery bags over and over its not hygienic..

The bags are of that poor quality that they are ripped by the time I get home anyway.

I don't mind paying for bags, but make them 3 times as large, 5 times as strong, and 3 times as expensive.
(and thus reusable. The funny thing is, that when I put them with the recycling, they get left behind. I have to throw them away. WTF???)

[Canadaka]

I dont have a problem with it

[bootlegga]

Choban Choban:

$1:

And the worst part is that most of those stores (Zellers, Toys R Us) don't even bother to tell you that they are charging you that 5 cents, it just shows up on your bill!

This is really the only aspect of the whole thing that I have an issue with. My wife has been buying canvas shopping bags for years and both our cars are stocked with them, I don't pay for plastic bags because I don't use them.

Me too, I just find it sneaky for companies not to tell you and then to charge you for something they previously gave away. If I know ahead of time, I just bring in a reusable bag, but they know that you won't make a stink at the till over 5 cents for fear of looking like a cheapskate.

[kenmore]

Brenda Brenda:

kenmore kenmore:

All stores or most anyway are charging for them.. It sucks when you go to the Bay or Zellers and spend a few hundred bucks and they ask if you would like a bag! I think people should boycott these stores. Its ridiculous! I just came back from NYC and it was nice not to be gouged by paying for bags. Now they are charging the HST and a enviro surcharge and that goes on the bags as well. You can't always carry bags and if you use grocery bags over and over its not hygienic..

The bags are of that poor quality that they are ripped by the time I get home anyway.

I don't mind paying for bags, but make them 3 times as large, 5 times as strong, and 3 times as expensive.
(and thus reusable. The funny thing is, that when I put them with the recycling, they get left behind. I have to throw them away. WTF???)

Right you are.. esp. food store bags they break before you get to the car. I take reusable bags for groceries.... but when I buy underwear at the Bay along with jeans, shirts, socks I want them to give me the friggen 5 cent bag. If you are in a mall you have to take your stuff to the car and then come back. I won't pay in large dept.stores on principle.. I mean its not like they are not making huge profits.

[kenmore]

Heres the kicker... most of those plastic bags end up in landfils.. so they want you the consumer to pay for them. Same as the enviro surcharge .. its crap. you pay it on electrical stuff, computers and the like, laundry detergents and dish soap etc .. some pharmaceutical chemicals and where does the used containers and old outdated computer parts end up.. in the landfil. Those fees, charges and taxes are a tax grab and do nothing for the environment.. If they want to do something about that go after manufacturers and packaging companies..

[bootlegga]

kenmore kenmore:

Right you are.. esp. food store bags they break before you get to the car. I take reusable bags for groceries.... but when I buy underwear at the Bay along with jeans, shirts, socks I want them to give me the friggen 5 cent bag. If you are in a mall you have to take your stuff to the car and then come back. I won't pay in large dept.stores on principle.. I mean its not like they are not making huge profits.

That's my point, who expects to have to bring a bag to Rona when you go in to buy a hammer, or Toys R' Us when you buy some stuff for your little one? No one, and that's how these sneaky companies rack up a little extra profit.

[SprCForr]

We don't get charged for them and the store here will take them back to send to the recyclers. It's handy because we don't end up with a billion of them in the pantry.

[2Cdo]

I don't mind paying at the grocery store, if I forget my canvas bags. And they do make excellent pooper scooper bags!

[kenmore]

Ya they do make super pooper scooper bags as long as they stay together

[Brenda]

SprCForr SprCForr:

We don't get charged for them and the store here will take them back to send to the recyclers. It's handy because we don't end up with a billion of them in the pantry.

I think it's weird that the recycling truck doesn't take them. The bags say they are recyclable, but they leave them behind, telling me on a piece of paper what a stupid fool I am for putting them in the recycling in the first place.