In a bid to reduce plastic use, a grocery shop in Vancouver, Canada, offered single-use plastic bags with embarrassing slogans to refrain customers from using them and rather encourage customers to bring their own bag.
It was hoped people would find it too awkward to walk down the street with a bag that says ‘Wart Ointment Wholesale’, ‘Into the Weird Adult Video Emporium’ or ‘The Colon Care Co-Op’. The bag also has written on it in smaller font: “Avoid the shame. Bring a reusable bag.”
The grocery store’s Instagram page shared pictures of the bags with the caption, “It’s hard to always remember a reusable bag. We redesigned our plastic bags to help you never forget again!”
David Lee Kwen, owner of the East West Market, insisted that the plan wasn’t to embarrass customers. “We wanted to give them something humorous, but also something that made them think at the same time,” he told the Guardian. “It’s human nature not to want to be told what to do.”
When images of the bags were shared on social media, many people turned up to the store to acquire some of them.
David told reporters the initiative generated interest but it certainly did not backfire. “It’s certainly generated interest in what we’re trying to put out. Once you start a conversation, it will skyrocket from there, I think,” said David.
