Bagless at IKEA: eco-friendly or just marketing scheme?!

VivaNYC

VivaNYC

O.G.
Sep 14, 2006
608
67
#1
I was just at IKEA the other day, and experienced what others have been crying about.. no more plastic shopping bags. They charge 5 cents per bag (or 59cents for the sturdier blue bags), and I can happily comply, siting that Ikea is doing this to be eco-conscious. (There were signs citing environment reasons why Ikea decided to charge for the bags). That's cool. After my purchase, I go to the cafeteria to dine in, and GASP!:wtf:, what do I find??? My Swedish meatballs served on double layered disposable Styrofoam plates!!! :shrugs: Yessss!! AND no stainless steel utensils, but PLASTIC disposable utensils:tdown:. AND, we're not finished, disposable 'to go' cups for beverages:confused1:!!!! OBVIOUSLY, Ikea is NOT concerned about creating more waste, and definitely not as eco-friendly as they want the consumers to think. I think they are just using 'eco-friendly' as an excuse to charge for the bags. I really don't have a problem to provide my own bags or buy bags. But puhleeze, Ikea is trying to manipulate the consumers! Let's be real!!
 
#3
Hm...that is so weird that you say that your IKEA doesn't have stainless steel silverware. I was just in the one in Chicago awhile ago (well, the one by Woodfield mall) and they had silverware.

As far as paper cups, yes, they had them...but I think that that is so people can purchase a pop and walk around the store.

I dunno, I'm all for IKEA being eco-friendly, but if they are going to do it in one aspect, they need to do it all around.
 
#4
I don't really think it does anything. I went and everyone paid for the bags.

I don't think plastic bags are really wasteful in my own case because I use them as garbage bags afterwards.
 
#5
I purchased eight permanent shopping bags this year, and I keep them in the car. Whenever I go shopping, I take one of more of the bags with me. I really like them, not just for the environment, but they hold more, don't tear and are comfortable to carry.

If the plastic bags you get from shopping are indeed used for trash later, I think that's great. However, a lot of them end up not in the landfills, but floating around in the environment.

I think San Francisco recently banned grocery stores from giving out plastic bags? I think this is a trend that is going to catch on in a lot of areas.
 
#6
i dunno, as much as ikea is my idea of hell on earth i don't see a problem with them charging for plastic bags. it's the norm in sweden and they might just have decided to do it everywhere, or something along those lines. you don't have to take one.
 
#10
I bought those huge shopping bags from Ikea (!) for like 60 cents each and that's what I take to the grocery store, Target, etc (one bag fits almost a whole cart of groceries, it's huge).

I agree that if retailers are going to go the "green" route they needs to be consistent thoughout their operations.

Bringing your own bags (and bagging your own purchases) is the norm in many European countries. But it sure is convenient that the deterrent they've implemented (charging customers for bags) ends up benefitting them.

One of the worst offenders is McDonalds, IMO. You buy three things at the drive-thru and they put each one in its own bag, then put all three into a bigger bag. WHY?
 
#11
i preffer reusable bags. we used to have a draw in the kitchen full of bags just sitting there. we now have reusable ones tha clip into the trunk of the car so they dont roll about and it make things so much easier.
 
#12
I use a reuseable Hello Kitty nylon bag when I go shopping.

Maybe your Ikea is still making the transition. The restaurants in San Francisco are making the transition from styrofoam take out containers to recycled paper right now. I think they have a deadline to use up all the styrofoam containers they have.
 
#15
I've been using a reusable tote for years. So I don't mind it at all.

It is a little weird that they are so eco friendly in one aspect and so wasteful in others. But I guess every little bit helps.
 
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