Reusing plastic bags, locality with plastic bag tax? (sale, items, money)

[sprklcl]

My county is implementing a new five cents per plastic bag tax beginning January 1. Politics aside, the local government has morphed into some policies I do not morally support, my question is do local grocers allow consumers reuse plastic bags they previously purchased before and/or elsewhere? I am fortunate as I live within a 5-10 minute drive depending on traffic lights of the adjacent county, politics not quite as bad, which has no near future plans to implement a plastic bag tax and already do about 50% of my shopping there. If I take a competitor's bags of a different color say tan/brown vs white in the store in the county which live in uses, will they have a problem using allowing customers using these plastic bags? This way avoid alleged charges of shoplifting. Like to hear from those anywhere in the USA already in such a situation with a plastic bag tax. I sense this less of a problem at self checkout which use say 2/3 of the time than at full service checkout. In particular, interested in policies by Giant Food/Stop and Shop, Harris Teeter/Kroger, Walmart, Dollar Tree, and Safeway/Albertsons but add other stores policies to benefit others in this forum. I am already stockpiling plastic bags to save for future purchases in 2022 to avoid the tax.

Problem with mesh and cloth bags is time and maintenance wasting water washing these bags so environmentally still an issue with phosphates, etc. going down the drain into streams.

[Mary2014]

You need to clarify what rules the county is dictating to the stores. So do they have to charge you 5 cents for every bag they supply to bag your groceries? Or, can you bring your own bags? If you are being charged 5 cents per bag, does the county have a place to recycle your bags so you get a 5 cent refund for every one returned? I imagine the rules vary by county.

You might ask your local grocery store if you can bring your own bags of what ever type you wish to use. Places like the wholesale clubs leave their cardboard boxes out when they stock their shelves for customers to use to pack up their groceries. Works for them.

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by sprklcl

my question is do local grocers allow consumers reuse plastic bags they previously purchased before and/or elsewhere?

My local grocer allows it. Can't speak for your local grocer

[Steve Bagu]

A TRUE story so think of the possible consequences. I was in the Grocery Liquor Inventory business and was talking to a Liquor store owner. A woman came in who was wearing a bathrobe and hair in curlers to buy her usual beer vodka and cigarettes. She also had some paper bags in hand for the owner to reuse for customers purchase. As soon as she left the owner dumped the bags into the dumpster outside the back door. I asked him why. He said they probably had ROACHES inside from past experience......Ring any bells? After 23 yrs in the business have seen a lot of different situations that might make a peron smile. A independent Grocery owner who had a cat litter box and nearby cat food in the back room for what he called his store rodent cleaner. No mice there as is problematic in other stores.

[sprklcl]

Originally Posted by Mary2014

You need to clarify what rules the county is dictating to the stores.

So do they have to charge you 5 cents for every bag they supply to bag your groceries? - Yes
Or, can you bring your own bags? - Yes, for to the mesh/cloth bags. If plastic bags, up to the store.
If you are being charged 5 cents per bag, does the county have a place to recycle your bags so you get a 5 cent refund for every one returned? - No

I imagine the rules vary by county.

See responses above.

[flyingsaucermom]

I don’t use any bags. After paying for my items I put them back in the cart until I get to my car where I have small plastic bins and totes. Easier for me to carry. Not offensive to the sewer system or ecology and better for my wallet.

[Hemlock140]

In our state it's 8 cents a bag. Rarely would we use more than 2-3 bags since most of our foods come from Costco, but are people really upset about paying 15-25 cents for bags? There are far more important and expensive things to complain about, such as property taxes, gas, utilities and the food you put into those bags.

[evening sun]

We use the reusable ones. Any plastic bags we get, are recycled into cat litter bags. The policy may vary by store, so check them out. During Covid restrictions, we were not allowed to use our own bags, so they reverted back to giving us the bags for free. Each store may have its own policy.

[elnina]

If you pay for reusable bags, you own them and can reuse as many times you want. Our local grocers don't care where you put your products.
Generally this was a rule, but now, during the Pandemic, the baggers don't want to touch customers bags, so most people bag their own purchases.
Once used bag is visibly used, so no one is going to accuse of shoplifting. You can also just tell the cashier that you brought your own bags. I never heard anyone having any problems with that.

In Texas most shopping stores still use regular plastic bags "free of charge". Paper bags are available upon request, and many stores hide them from view. Only Aldi charges for paper/plastic bags. They are very sturdy and reusable.
Many stores have bins for recyclables.

OP you can reuse already purchased plastic bags, or bring your own canvas or whatever bags and don't buy any bags in the future.
The new tax in your county, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2022, will apply to disposable plastic shopping bags at convenience stores, grocery stores and drugstores; money raised from the fee will go to environmental cleanup efforts and to buy reusable bags for low-income residents.

[oceangaia]

Originally Posted by sprklcl

Problem with mesh and cloth bags is time and maintenance wasting water washing these bags so environmentally still an issue with phosphates, etc. going down the drain into streams.

Seems like it would be a lot easier to wash mesh or cloth bags than plastic bags.