A couple of years ago we started the Willow Trading "do you need a bag for that?" campaign. Actually "campaign" is really too strong a term for it. That implies some sort of organisation. It was really just a case of us deciding to ask every customer whether they needed a bag or not, rather than just giving one automatically.I would say that since we started doing this the number of carrier bags we use (that's paper bags, we've never used plastic) has dropped by about 60%.
Most people when asked, will have a think and then realise that they can easily use their hand bag, ruck sac, bottom of a pram, another carrier bag or even their pocket.
Obviously it's easy in a shop like Willow Trading where the products are small and people aren't coming in to shop for their weekly groceries.
But we are seeing an increase in the number of people who come prepared with their own shopping bag and I have seen signs in both Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer to the same effect. Maybe it is a campaign after all!
Rather than taxing plastic carrier bags we should just encourage shop owners to stop handing out bags willy nilly. Which, of course, is only going to save them money.
I'm sure the practice of giving everyone a bag started as a form of customer service but I don't think any of our customers feel that we're being rude when we ask them if they need a bag. They are very welcome to one if they do. (We'll even gift wrap with a smile).
There are so many attractive shopping bags around now (and shopping trolleys for that matter, courtesy of Habitat and Ikea) that we don't need to look like our grannies going for the messages!
This is where Bags of Change come in. If you buy one of their rather funky hemp bags (just £14.85) you'll automatically get discounts when you use it to shop in any of the stores and restaurants that are participating in their scheme.
For example if you shop with a Bags of Change bag at Willow Trading you get 10% off any of our organic products that carry the Soil Association logo. Not bad eh? It's like getting a reward for having having a really cool bag!
You can buy the bags from the participating stores - such as ours - or directly from the Bags of Change web site. Once you've registered with them online they'll send you a regular newsletter so you'll always know where to get the best discounts on local, organic or fair trade products.
It's a brilliant yet simple idea and I think it's going to go from strength to strength.
