Is It Just Me?

[WIP]

Is it just me or is there a real effort by many retailers, particularly Walmart, to use as many plastic bags as possible? I'm constantly having to tell them to use fewer bags as I don't need to load up the landfill with plastic bags. Some examples.

Just today I stopped in at our local Walmart to pick up a birthday card for my mother-in-law. While there I also stopped at the bakery and picked up a 2-pack of French twist donuts. They are in a paperboard container with a plastic window. When I checked out, the cashier wrapped the card in its own plastic bag and placed it into the plastic bag where she placed the donuts. I told her she didn't need to do that. She said it is amazing how many people complain if she didn't do that. What possibly could be a concern by placing both of those items into one common bag?

Another example is how they always wrap meat in a separate grocery bag before placing them in with any other items. Why? The meat is already in a sealed, sometimes vacuum sealed, container. They'll do the same thing with cleaning products like dish soap, oven cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, etc. They are already in sealed containers either plastic or metal. What difference does it make if these items are in the same bag as a loaf of bread or something?

To me it is ridiculous and very environmentally unfriendly.

 

[hawkman]

Use self check-out , bagging is up to you . You can go completely bag less or bring your own bags to use .

Grocery bags are up to you (they don't provide) at your local Aldi . Bring a quarter to unlock your grocery cart too .

Another example is how they always wrap meat in a separate grocery bag before placing them in with any other items. Why?

Meat juice on other grocery items is not cool . I have seen it happen no matter how well it appears to be sealed . At least that is my experience .

 

[Christ_empowered]

I dunno

Chemicals should be bagged separately from any food items. That’s just protocol. Same for meat.


But yes sometimes I’ve found that big box retailers go too far with the bags. I usually keep mine and use them later…house cleaning cleaning out my cold brew maker that kind of thing…

So I like to think that I’m making it less environmentally horrendous by reusing the bags on my end.

 

[WIP]

Use self check-out , bagging is up to you . You can go completely bag less or bring your own bags to use .

Grocery bags are up to you (they don't provide) at your local Aldi . Bring a quarter to unlock your grocery cart too .


Meat juice on other grocery items is not cool . I have seen it happen no matter how well it appears to be sealed . At least that is my experience .

I'm a hold out on self checkout. I figure if I'm going to do business there, the least they can do is have a live person accept my payment. It's one of the reasons I rarely shop at Walmart anymore. There are just a handful of select items that I still obtain from Walmart otherwise I do most, about 95%, of my shopping elsewhere. I'm sure eventually, I'll have little choice as self-checkout gains more and more momentum.

 

[WIP]

Chemicals should be bagged separately from any food items. That’s just protocol. Same for meat.

The question is why? They are in sealed containers and wrapping them in a plastic bag would do nothing if a leak developed.

 

[WIP]

But yes sometimes I’ve found that big box retailers go too far with the bags. I usually keep mine and use them later…house cleaning cleaning out my cold brew maker that kind of thing…

So I like to think that I’m making it less environmentally horrendous by reusing the bags on my end.

I do save some to use as small trash can liners or other purposes but I certainly don't need that many. Yes, I could return them to the store but as I've mentioned already, I rarely shop Walmart and so remembering to return them would be another issue.

To me it is a huge waste. People claim they want to reduce the use of fossil fuels, well, where do they think these bags come from? People raise awareness about plastic bags and shreds of plastic bags in our oceans. Well, where do they think it comes from?

 

[Christ_empowered]

I dunno

I’ve had a few incidents in which chemicals leaked after purchase. They were bagged separately from food items so at least the damage was minimal.

Another reason is that the big box stores deal with lots and lots of people every day. I think the big goal is to minimize complaints and any potential liability.

ALDI is a viable option if you’re willing to bring your own bags . The last time I checked the prices on food items were better than Walmart on average. Obviously your mileage may vary.

Lately I’ve been offered the option to bring reusable bags to curbside pickup at Walmart. I did once for a morning pickup. The dude complained so much and I kept trying to be nice and basically soothe him…ridiculous. Never doing that again although I imagine in many areas it’s not that big of a deal. I hope so anyway.

 

[hawkman]

I'm a hold out on self checkout. I figure if I'm going to do business there, the least they can do is have a live person accept my payment.

I agree , I like to help someone get a paycheck .

It's one of the reasons I rarely shop at Walmart anymore. There are just a handful of select items that I still obtain from Walmart otherwise I do most, about 95%, of my shopping elsewhere.

I am like you I try to source as many of my needs from other than Walmart .

My wife does use the Walmart Home Delivery service on occasion , and then she grouses about it :nag , I tell her do not use it . It is the pits in the green department , they say in stock on items when you order but that may mean in stock in the lower 48 . Multiple boxes from far away places come to the house . UPS , Fedex and USPS stay happy .

 

[jasonc]

I'm a hold out on self checkout. I figure if I'm going to do business there, the least they can do is have a live person accept my payment. It's one of the reasons I rarely shop at Walmart anymore. There are just a handful of select items that I still obtain from Walmart otherwise I do most, about 95%, of my shopping elsewhere. I'm sure eventually, I'll have little choice as self-checkout gains more and more momentum.

I work part-time at AutoZone,we have self checkout

It won't affect me . They can't buy parts with warranties or pay cash .

 

[jasonc]

I agree , I like to help someone get a paycheck .

I am like you I try to source as many of my needs from other than Walmart .

My wife does use the Walmart Home Delivery service on occasion , and then she grouses about it :nag , I tell her do not use it . It is the pits in the green department , they say in stock on items when you order but that may mean in stock in the lower 48 . Multiple boxes from far away places come to the house . UPS , Fedex and USPS stay happy .

My wife uses local growers .

 

[hawkman]

My wife uses local growers .

Yeah , we use the local farmers market here too . They don't grow Puff's facial tissue here though .

 

[WIP]

It just seems strange to me. The other day one of the items I purchased at our local grocer was a pound of bacon. Now, bacon is packaged vacuum sealed in heavy plastic and yet the checkout clerk put it in a separate plastic bag before placing it into the paper bag I requested. If I catch them quick enough, I tell them to just put the bacon in the paper bag with the rest of the items and who cares if it includes a can of oven cleaner.

 

[for_his_glory]

I only shop at Walmart when I can't find what I need in the other two stores I shop at that are way closer to me. I no longer buy meat from Walmart, especially hamburger as the plastic always leaks blood through it and not sure what kind of meat they use for hamburg as it has no taste, but lots of fluff to keep it red looking. I always use self check out as it's quicker. I use the bags for small garbage cans so save money on buying small garbage bags. The other two stores cut their own meat and is always fresh. Rule of thumb, I separate my food from the cleaning products and my bread and eggs go into a separate bag. I'm just quirky that way.

 

[Corn Pop]

Bring a quarter to unlock your grocery cart too

You get charged to used a cart?. With the cost of living they cant even offer people a free cart and charge a quarter before they about to go broke paying for there weekly food? Lol.

 

[jasonc]

You get charged to used a cart?. With the cost of living they cant even offer people a free cart and charge a quarter before they about to go broke paying for there weekly food? Lol.

Aldi's has done that for a long time before trump

 

[WIP]

You get charged to used a cart?. With the cost of living they cant even offer people a free cart and charge a quarter before they about to go broke paying for there weekly food? Lol.

They do that to encourage people to replace the cart after use. This saves the cost of hiring someone to collect the carts from the parking lot as you know everyone always puts the cart away when they are done with them (sarcasm intentional). It's one of the ways they reduce costs so they can offer their products at lower prices.

 

[Corn Pop]

They do that to encourage people to replace the cart after use. This saves the cost of hiring someone to collect the carts from the parking lot as you know everyone always puts the cart away when they are done with them (sarcasm intentional). It's one of the ways they reduce costs so they can offer their products at lower prices.

How does that work?. So you pay a quarter to use a cart and when your finished using it where is the incentive to put the cart back when finished?. Do you get your quarter back?. People should get 2 quarters to put a cart back if they payed a quarter for the service, like a waiter will take your plate from your table you dont have to take it back yourself.l you payed for the service. Like recycle centre give you 10 cents for each can or bottle you take back.

 

[Corn Pop]

Use self check-out , bagging is up to you . You can go completely bag less or bring your own bags to use .

The old days were better when someone checked items for you and someone else bagged it for you and prices were fair. That's called customer service. They pass down all the high inflation costs to the consumer and now there is hardly any check out operators that leads people to check out themsleves and bag it themselves with there own bags or can purchase one. Declining customer service. Anything to save costs and maximise profits. That's how business works.

The only issue I see is the power and control over the food industry by a couple giant corps. Small business can't compete against giant corps they will just get bullied and eaten for breakfast. Like lockdowns, of course was in favour of the giant corps while small fruit and vegetable and butcher shops were forced to close. Big corp got all the customer service maximising huge profits why the small guy next door was forced to close and there food go rank.

Food is human need and essential service.

 

[hawkman]

The old days were better when someone checked items for you and someone else bagged it for you and prices were fair. That's called customer service.

I shop often in grocery store just like that , they ring it up and they bag it and take it to the car for you .

Aldi cart video .

 

[Corn Pop]

It's a complete joke. They want people to shop at there store yet charge them before the customer even starts to purchase there products by renting a cart. Lol.

They want people to fill a cart for profit yet charge them for using a cart and then expect them to put it back when finished rather than giving someone a fulltime job and offering good customer sevice. Time is money, having to put a cart back that should be a quarter. You pay a quarter for the cart then when you put it back you get a quarter back. As long as it doesn't leave the premises then it's returned and still on there property.

So the customer is paying the company to do a job and a service someone should be payed and employed for and have a job. lol.

So not only are they saving costs not having to employee someone to do a service anymore, they are getting paid by the customer for it and the customer does the service. LoL That's hilarious. Rent a cart.