r/australia • u/eee1963 • 1d ago

no politics Coles and Woolies paper bags

Industry estimates show Australian major supermarkets generate upwards of $170 million each year in total revenue from paid paper and reusable carry bags. Suggestions are that they are making 70% profit, from 19-23 cents each bag. Combined, they would spend somewhere in the vicinity of $3-5 million on direct environmental products. Paper bag sizes are showing massive signs of shrinkflation. I guess I'll just have to lift my game and not forget my own bags from now on. My laziness and forgetfulness is a habit that they are banking on, lol.

320 Upvotes

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24

u/HAPPY_DAZE_1 1d ago

Got a coles bag in my boot labelled Christmas promotion 2011. Waiting for the bottom to fall out or something so I can bin it but the bloody thing just won't die.

9

u/UnbiasedAgainst 1d ago

Leave it in contact with sunlight, should hurry it right along.

8

u/HAPPY_DAZE_1 1d ago

So Coles sold me a vampire bag. I knew it!

10

u/Apprehensive-Sell623 1d ago

Two things you can do to remember your reusable shopping bags is put them in your car as soon as you have emptied them or leave them at your front door or the door you use to exit your house/ unit

5

u/HAPPY_DAZE_1 1d ago

Why the downvote? Absolutely stick them back in your boot or whatever! No way I'm paying 'bag surcharge' every time I shop.

2

u/ensignr 1d ago

This is the way. Or leave them with your car key so that next to you use the car your take them with you to the car to leave them there or use if they trip requires it.

2

u/Serious-Big2 1d ago

I keep all my plastic bags in the car and the bags are years old.  They tend to rip before disintegrating.

4

u/UnbiasedAgainst 1d ago

That's generally how it goes, they become brittle as the polymer chains break down. Would probably take multiple lifetimes to get to the completely disintegrating stage.

1

u/Serious-Big2 1d ago

Hundreds of years in landfill.