Driven by the recognition that retailers enable consumers’ reliance on disposable bags, the Brattleboro, Vermont, Market 32 by Price Chopper store, located at 499 Canal Street, has begun charging five cents for paper bags. The retailer hopes the charge will discourage the use of disposable bags and further encourage shoppers to convert to heavy-duty, reusable alternatives.
“The Town of Brattleboro’s legislation, which banned thin-film, single-use plastic bags as of July 1, made no mention of paper bags, which are just as disposable and detrimental to the environment as thin-film plastic ones. At the time, we erected signage in our store announcing our intent to stop handing out free, disposable, paper bags on Oct. 1. As we continued to discount heavy-duty, reusable bags in an effort to help the community transition forward, we hoped that the noble intent of the law would encourage conversion to heavy-duty reusables. In actuality, most customers converted to paper bags while fewer than 15 percent invested in long-term, reusable alternatives. Our follow through is intended to drive results toward non-disposable solutions,” said Mona Golub, Price Chopper’s VP of public relations and consumer services.
Paper bags are more costly to recycle than plastic bags and do not biodegrade easily in landfills, given the inherent lack of oxygen. Additionally, the bags are less likely than plastic bags to be reused and have a higher cost and larger carbon footprint associated with their production and distribution.
“Behavioral change is a challenge in this convenience-driven era, but the prospect of retail, government, consumers and environmental advocates working together to diminish the production, distribution and disposal of bag waste has great merit, now and into the future. Price Chopper/Market 32 fully supports this effort and is committed to investing our resources in changing the way we purchase, stock, distribute, promote, sign and pack reusables in an effort to help our customers transition to whichever long-term solution best suits them,” said Golub.
Brattleboro’s Market 32 customers will pay $.05 for each disposable (handle-less) paper bag used or $.10 for each handled paper bag and receive a $.03 rebate for every bag, box or tote brought back to the store for reuse.
“Billions of plastic bags are used in the U.S. each year, with less than 5 percent being recycled and more and large amounts being swept into rivers and streams and ultimately the ocean. While stopping the use of plastic bags is key, it is imperative that consumers shift to reusable bags. Price Chopper has come up with an innovative and effective approach that continues the ban on plastic bags, while adding a modest fee on paper bags. This will encourage consumers to shift to reusable bags. It is easy for consumers, once they start getting in the habit of bringing their own bags. Hats off to Price Chopper for taking this major step that I hope other supermarkets around the country will follow,” said Judith Enck, former EPA regional administrator and visiting professor at Bennington College.
“With patchwork legislation being discussed all around us, though seldom passed, we decided to take a stand and exercise prudence in moving the issue forward ourselves,” said Golub.
Based in Schenectady, New York, the Golub Corp. owns and operates 133 Price Chopper and Market 32 grocery stores in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
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