Should Retailers Give Consumers a No Bag Option?

✅ All InspiredEconomist articles and guides have been fact-checked and reviewed for accuracy. Please refer to our editorial policy for additional information.

Every time I go through a fast-food drive-through, I wince at the amount of paper and plastic that comes through the window. When I order a cheeseburger on the fly, I don’t need a paper bag, 25 napkins, and other whatnot. I just want the cheeseburger, then I can use one of the myriad spare napkins stuffed in the console left over from other moments of junk food weakness.

It makes me wonder . . . why don’t fast food places simply ask consumers if they want the bag or not? Not only would it be an environmentally responsible thing to do, but it would save them a significant amount of money on consumables.

How much do you think McDonald’s, Burger King, Five Guys, Wendy’s, and all the rest could save by simply not giving customers bags and napkins and forks and salt packets if they don’t want them? How much landfill space could we preserve?

While we’re at it, why don’t we extend that to other retailers? Instead of me pleading with the lady behind the counter at Macy’s to not put my things into a bag, why couldn’t they just ask if I want a bag in the first place? Just once, I’d like that one lady at the grocery store to stop trying to force me to double bag my canned food.

But that would be too easy, right?

2 thoughts on “Should Retailers Give Consumers a No Bag Option?”

  1. There should be a no bag option. In fact it would be a good thing if we could carry a bag of our own in the car and just reuse it everytime we go through a drive through. I do not see it ever happening. Recycling should be a daily routine in everyone’s lives. I just started a Recycling Center database to help enforce recycling.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top