Since the General Meeting last month we've gotten a bunch of great comments on how Coop members can reduce their use of plastic produce (roll) bags. Some of the ideas include more member education about the negative effects of plastic bags, and allowing members to bring their own containers and weigh them (empty) on a scale before filling with bulk items.
Charging for produce bags has also been suggested, and we've discussed that option as a committee as well. One stumbling block we haven't found a solution for yet is how to incorporate charging for produce bags into the checkout experience without adding to the time and effort already required for checkout (which of course can be considerable during busy times). More ideas are welcome!
In my household we use the cloth (muslin) bags for produce, and are happy to report that they actually keep our fruits + veggies fresher than plastic bags! So if you've been thinking of picking up some muslin bags from the Coop I can heartily recommend it.
Have a great idea about how we can reduce or even eliminate produce bags from the Coop? Leave us a comment and let us know! We'll keep you posted on how the issue develops.
Charging for produce bags has also been suggested, and we've discussed that option as a committee as well. One stumbling block we haven't found a solution for yet is how to incorporate charging for produce bags into the checkout experience without adding to the time and effort already required for checkout (which of course can be considerable during busy times). More ideas are welcome!
In my household we use the cloth (muslin) bags for produce, and are happy to report that they actually keep our fruits + veggies fresher than plastic bags! So if you've been thinking of picking up some muslin bags from the Coop I can heartily recommend it.
Have a great idea about how we can reduce or even eliminate produce bags from the Coop? Leave us a comment and let us know! We'll keep you posted on how the issue develops.
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