'Ridiculous' or long overdue? What Columbus says about Giant Eagle's plastic bag plan
Note from Opinion Editor Amelia Robinson: In a letter to the editor published Sept. 15, reader Michael Federer voiced his objections to Giant Eagle's plan to phase out single-use plastic bags and charge customers 5 cents for each paper bag.
We asked for your thoughts. Below are a selection of responses.
What about our safety?
I think it's ridiculous. Many years ago, all we had were paper bags. Save the trees! Switch to plastic.
Eventually, over time, we all adapted. They call them single-use. I use mine for many things. A lot of the bags now are recyclable.
They want you to use reusable bags now. What are they made of? Or pay 5 cents per paper bag. You don't know how many bags you will need when ringing the price up. A second transaction?
Single-use plastic bags:Kroger, America's largest supermarket chain, bids farewell to the plastic shopping bag
I am a cashier at a small market. We typically bag for our customers but if the customer brings their own bags, we can refuse to bag for them. As a cashier, we do not know where their reusable bags have been and what's been in them. Our safety comes first.
Barbara Halter, Columbus
Not getting rich off 5 cents
Michael Federer misses the point.
Grocers with small profit margins aren’t going get rich selling 5-cent paper bags. But plastic bags and similar materials fill our waste dumps and pollute our waterways, warming the earth and threatening the future of our grandchildren.
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When the private sector steps up to be responsible environmental partners, our community should not only embrace them but follow suit in small and big ways to reuse and upcycle whatever we can. Using inexpensive or free cloth bags for groceries and other goods is common sense.
It’s easy to throw shade at changing our ways and protecting our convenient lifestyles. Instead, let’s be open-minded and strive to use more renewable resources before it’s too late.
This is a positive move, I wish all retailers did this. This is becoming a prevailing practice in many countries. There are always a few naysayers, just like people that oppose recycling. This is a reasonable incremental step.
Barb Seckler, Columbus
Other stores should follow suit
I think it is a great idea and long time coming. Hopefully, the others will follow suit quickly. Europe, Canada and the UK have long been doing this, as well as several states.
Single-use plastic bags:Bexley bans plastic bags; straws, silverware next
With minuscule beads of plastic showing up in most marine life, and in their meats that we eat and even in our bodies … this change is overdue.
Recycling:Rumpke to accept some plastic, paper, and aluminum cups for recycling
It is very easy to incorporate a few reusable bags that you can pop in your car and be always ready when you need them. Cheers to Giant Eagle!
Barbara Meyer, New Albany
Share your thoughts:How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch
For the love of Earth
I am so happy to see Giant Eagle taking action in an effort to decrease plastics pollution. The plastic bags do more harm than good to the environment and there is no good reason for people not to use their own tote or buy a paper bag.
Nancy Fontanelli, West Mifflin, PA
Bring your own bags
I take my own tote bags to shop at Kroger, and watch in dismay at the excessive use of plastic that is harmful to our environment. No one has to pay 5 cents for a paper bag. Take your own, and appreciate any step to protect wildlife and reduce pollutants. Good for Giant Eagle!
Celia Latz, Columbus
