Editing 990: Plastic Bags

{{comic
| number    = 990
| date      = December 14, 2011
| title     = Plastic Bags
| image     = plastic_bags.png
| titletext = The high I feel when I actually remember to bring my reusable bags to the store--and take them inside rather than leaving them in the parked car--can last for days.
}}

==Explanation==
In the United States, at the time this comic was written, most {{w|grocery stores}} used to provide {{w|plastic shopping bag|plastic bags}} free; as well as a "bagger," whose only job is to bag the groceries — although sometimes this function is performed by the cashier. An exception to this rule might be "extreme discount" stores, such as {{w|Aldi}}. Customers are rarely, if ever, expected to bag their own groceries, even if they bring a reusable bag. It follows that sometimes a bagger might become a bit overzealous and use too many bags for too few products. This comic is mocking this tendency to go overboard, which is incredibly wasteful. The last frame takes this practice to its absurd and frustrating end, showing a {{w|reusable bag}} that has been double bagged with plastic bags. Exactly why bags are provided is probably a topic best left to academic discussion, but suffice to say that it is the state of the industry in the U.S. Perhaps grocery chains are concerned that if they did not provide free plastic bags, customers would defect, instead, to a competitor. Most shoppers view plastic bags and bagging by the store as givens.

Relatively recently, some U.S. jurisdictions have begun to join {{w|Phase-out of lightweight plastic bags|more and more}} governments world-wide to either ban plastic bags, charge customers for them, or generate taxes on each sold bag. Using Washington, DC ([[Randall]]'s home turf) example, as of 2010 customers are charged a $0.05 tax (again, by the local government and NOT by the grocery store) for each plastic bag, and receive an equivalent rebate for each reusable bag. While today it is accepted as a fact of life, the tax angered many at its adoption, even spurring some to claim that they would do their shopping in the next state over (in this case, Virginia), driving 5 or 10 miles to save 5 or 10 cents (this would address the theme of wasting money to save a trivial amount, addressed by [[Randall]] in [[951|951: Working]]). The tax has since become accepted as a fact of life, and has been quite successful at its initial goal of reducing the amount of bags discarded in area rivers and streams. 

The title text refers to the idea that while many attempt to make the environmentally-conscious decision to bag their groceries with {{w|reusable bags,}} thereby keeping plastic bags out of landfills, sometimes they forget to bring their bags with them from the car, or even leave the bags at home altogether. Randall is commenting on the sense of euphoria he derives from a relatively simple task: remembering to bring the reusable bags to the grocery store '''''and''''' taking them into the store, rather than the good feeling from helping clean up the environment.

==Transcript==
::Fun Fact: Stores have a competition to see who can spread your items across the most plastic shopping bags.

:[5 items placed in a single bag; heaviest item placed at the bottom.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: Thanks!

:[Same items; heaviest item now placed in separate bag.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: Oh, that's easier to carry.

:[Heavy item is now double bagged.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: Double-bagging the big stuff makes sense...

:[The other 4 items are now split into 2 separate bags.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: That's a bit wasteful...

:[The 2 separate bags are now double bagged.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: You just put five items in six bags.

:[Every item is now in its own, double-bagged bag.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: OK! I give up! I'll buy a reusable bag!

:[Reusable bag is double-bagged.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: Augh!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Fun fact]]