This Supermarket Found a Hilarious Way to Shame Customers into Using Reusable Bags

(TMU) — In many grocery stores, customers who forget to bring reusable bags have to pay between .5 and .25 cents per single-use bag. This doesn’t really deter the average customer from relying on plastic, however, which is why a supermarket in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, has gone to hilarious and innovative lengths to encourage shoppers to care more about the environment.

If customers forget to bring reusable bags to East West Market, their only option will be to carry their goods out in single-use plastic bags with embarrassing slogans printed on the sides. The designs vary but include “Into the Weird Adult Video Emporium” and “The Colon Care Co-op.”

As Unilad reports, the tactic is simply meant to “nudge” shoppers in a more sustainable direction.

Credit: East West Market

East West Market’s goal is simple: encourage more customers to care more about plastic dependance and reduce their carbon footprint. David Lee Kwen, the owner of the independent grocery store, explained the reasoning behind the blush-worthy bags:

“The message is, we should make a conscious effort to save our planet one step at a time. [Plastic bags] are a big problem, and every step helps.”

Credit: East West Market

East West Market doesn’t just embarrass shoppers with silly slogans, it also charges 5 cents per bag. This means customers have to pay for the privilege of walking around with a bag which reads, ‘Wart Ointment Wholesale’.

Credit: East West Market

But in some ways, the plan has worked too well. Some shoppers have purchased the bags as a fun novelty item to share with friends. At least it’s getting the word out!

Though Vancouver has not yet passed a ban on single-use plastic like Canadian city Victoria, it is making sustainable strides. The city’s Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy, for instance, requires business to invent ways to clamp down on plastic use.

By Mandy Froelich | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com