IKEA Charges for Bags

Apparently everyone is jumping on the say no to plastic bag bandwagon, finally!!  I received this press release a couple days ago, it states on March 15th all IKEA stores in the US will start charging customers 5 cents for plastic bags.  Huh?  I don't shop at IKEA much but I have perused the catalogs, from what I gather the items you purchase there wouldn't fit in a plastic bag anyway (e.g. kitchen cabinets)! 

Yes I've seen the cups, soap dish, home accessories, et. al; but do people really shop at IKEA for spoons?  Am I missing something?  I'm being completely serious.  There isn't an IKEA in San Francisco so I would have to drive to Emeryville (crossing the Bay Bridge) or Palo Alto in order to visit one.  I could take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) but like I stated earlier carrying a medicine cabinet on the bus could be quite cumbersome.   

So IKEA is taking their stand against plastic....bags.  I say goode for them. The proceeds they collect will go to the American Forests campaign, the nation's oldest non-profit citizens conservation organization, to plant trees to restore forests and offset CO2 emissions. Also, to help alter customer behavior and endorse environmentally responsible habits, IKEA will be selling its iconic reusable 'Big Blue Bag' for 59 cents, a cost that has been reduced from 99 cents.

With the launch of this initiative, IKEA becomes one of the first major U.S. retailers to charge customers for plastic bags with the goal of completely eliminating their use in all IKEA stores.  I hope the grocery stores are listening and watching.  I have seen people walk out with bags of groceries that have only two things in each bag!  Years ago I thought the use of plastic bags was because they were stronger and could therefore hold more thus using less bags.  I was wrong.

"Plastic bags create litter, increase landfill, endanger wildlife and create ugly, unsafe clutter in our lives and in the environment. They end up in trash piles, or oceans…or trees…and they take forever to disappear. IKEA stands committed to stopping plastic bag waste." (IKEA.com) - I couldn't have said it better myself. 

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Comments

[domestic_slackstress]

One more reason to friggin' love IKEA. I love that place. Everything is so trendy and affordable. They are eco conscious and family friendly. Several rooms are designed for moms to nurse and change babies. They even have mother's parking like Tesco in England. Way to go on the bags, IKEA. Good to know. Thanks.

[Arcadia]

wow I had no idea IKEA was so family friendly to its shoppers, I think I will finally peruse the store!

[Lynn]

I read somewhere that IKEA in Israel hasn't signed on for this initiative though. Let's hope this is being done around the world. It's a great way to discourage people from using plastic bags!

[aurelia]

Yes, I do shop for spoons at Ikea. In fact I just got some a few weeks ago because all of mine have disappeared over time! I really love that place.

[Arcadia]

haha! thanks for your comment :), i'm convinced now i must go visit that store.

[Justin]

I just stopped in this store today and was told about this incredibly offensive gesture. Before you all go splooging over the hippy eco-friendly persona a large company such as this feeds you, I would actually do some actual studying, companies have tried silly things like this in the past ahem... Starbucks...9/11 and in almost all cases 3/4's of the money goes in their pockets. I couldn't be more disgusted at the rediculous size of this store and the incredibly small staff density. Only someone from "smug alert" California would say good for them, (notice how I didn't site your incredibly stupid spelling mistake) no company should be bold enough to tell its boss's (the customer) that they are going to forcefully reshape their behaviour if you want to be treated that way go to Iraq. Oh just to put things into perspective, I live in the detroit metro area, the auto capital of the world and California residents STILL produce more smog then we do, think about that next time you hop in your hybrid.

[czysxycoly]

i recently relocated and needed some essentials for my new apartment. I've shopped at Ikea before so I figured this would be a great place to get more stuff...just the little things. Well, along with a chair and stool, I had dishes, and utensils and bunches of other small goods from the marketplace. I went through self serve only to find out there were no bags...unless I paid for them. I thought it was crazy that not only did I pick out all my goods, I checked myself out and was willing to put my goods in the bag myself, and this retailer couldn't even give me at $.00001 bag to carry my merchandise out...sorry I don't agree this is a good policy. I left everything but the two things I could carry myself. I'll go to walmart to get my small stuff and a bag to put it in. Works for me. Sorry world.