RE: [greenyes] Grocery bag fee in SF

["Vincent Cobb" <vincentcobb@no.address>]

In our area Whole Foods recently bumped the credit from $.5 to $.10 for each
bag you bring in. 

Vincent Cobb
ReusableBags.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Snyder [mailto:Mark.Snyder@no.address] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2004 1:46 PM
To: GreenYes@no.address
Subject: RE: [greenyes] Grocery bag fee in SF

At my natural foods coop, Eastside Food Coop in Minneapolis [
http://www.eastsidefoodcoop.org/ ] we get a nickel credit for
bringing our own bags. 

I keep a few cloth bags in my car to make it easy to remember to use
them. I also use one to store empty milk bottles to return since I buy
Cedar Summit Farm [ http://www.cedarsummit.com/ ]  brand milk, which is
sold in returnable glass bottles.

I also understand that the Aldi's grocery store that recently opened in
Minneapolis encourages bringing your own bags by charging for theirs,
but I haven't checked that out since I'm able to get pretty much
everything I need from my coop.  I believe this practice of encouraging
reusable bags is followed by all Aldi's stores, both in Europe and now
in the US.

Mark Snyder
Pollution Prevention Specialist
Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance

>>> "Stephen N Weisser" <stevew@no.address> 11/22/2004 4:43:25
PM >>>
Not a regressive tax.  I live in town and Save A Lot Grocery charges
for
bags (I think 5 or 7 cents) - this is NOT a local trend - they do it
because
they say it helps them keep their prices down.  The cashier asks you
how
many bags you want before they hit your total.

I like to use reusable bags because you can get more in them and they
don't
bust while I'm climbing the steps to the third floor.

While I don't see too many fewer bags going out of the store, I do see
fewer
Save A Lot bags (I see plenty of plastic bags floating around,
however)
along the steets.


Steve Weisser