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5 Cents Per Plastic Bag Nets Loblaws $39.7 million in 2009 = Time to Boycott Loblaws!

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  • Jan 11th, 2011 11:33 am
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Dec 29, 2010
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Georgina

5 Cents Per Plastic Bag Nets Loblaws $39.7 million in 2009 = Time to Boycott Loblaws!

For some time now, Loblaws has been charging 5 cents per plastic bag, even in markets where it is not mandated to do so.

Recently, Loblaws stated in a news release that by charging 5 cents per plastic bag they diverted 1 300 000 000 bags from public landfills. They claim that this initiative has reduced plastic bag use by 55%. Therefore, by using simple ratios, if this 55% reduction diverted 1 300 000 000 000 bags from the landfill, the 45% not diverted amounts to 1.06 billion plastic bags. Each of these were sold at 5 cents apiece and allowed the company to bring in $53.2 million (i.e. 1.06 billion * 0.05). After paying for the manufacturing cost of these bags, Loblaws took in $42.5 million dollars off this 'environmental initiative' to date. At the same time, they are NOT having to give out 1 300 000 000 plastic bags at a cost of 1 cent apiece saving them $13 million dollars (i.e. 1 300 000 000 * 0.01). So where did this $55.5 million dollars go?

To a $3 million CHARITABLE, tax-free donation to the World Wildlife Fund! They are using this 'environmental initiative' to bring in profits of $52.5 million - money paid for by you and I! It seems like the only one seeing 'green' here is Loblaws!

Therefore, beginning JANUARY 10th, 2011, my family of three will no longer be shopping at Loblaws, Zehrs, or the Real Canadian Superstore because of these fees, unless they are eliminated by this date.

Please join us. One family may not make a difference, but a few hundred may. In Nova Scotia, a boycott worked!

CALCULATION SOURCE: http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoa ... 13421.html
155 replies
Deal Fanatic
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Sep 3, 2006
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A company with profit? For shame!
This isn't a blog.
Deal Expert
May 30, 2005
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Richmond Hill
Two words - who cares?

If they needed the revenue, they would've made it by increasing prices elsewhere. Now they won't need to.
Tons of things for sale!
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Deal Guru
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Aug 20, 2005
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jcon wrote: A company with profit? For shame!

This is a profit made under the pretense that they were doing something good for the environment. As I have said before, this was never about the environment, it was always about money.
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Nov 15, 2004
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imgrund wrote: I'm too lazy to leave a few reusable bags in my car so I can save money. That's why I joined a deal website to complain about a company making money off people willingly paying for things.

So how are these fees negatively affecting your lifestyle? Are they forcing you to buy the bags? Why are you only stopping on January 10th? Why not now? Do you always get this upset when companies donate their own money to charity?
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Cheap Cat wrote: This is a profit made under the pretense that they were doing something good for the environment. As I have said before, this was never about the environment, it was always about money.

I'd say it's about both. They're both reducing the proliferation of those bags and making money off the people who still want them. They're under no obligation to give you the bags for free, so why should they?
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Sep 3, 2006
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Cheap Cat wrote: This is a profit made under the pretense that they were doing something good for the environment. As I have said before, this was never about the environment, it was always about money.

Did you see how many bags were diverted from landfills?

More people use recycled bags now rather than pay the $.05.

Clearly it's working.
This isn't a blog.
Deal Guru
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Oct 14, 2003
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I cannot believe there are still people whining and crying about the 5cent plastic bags, it's just astonishing. Words cannot describe it. :facepalm:
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Nov 3, 2006
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YUL
Meh, only suckers pay for plastic bags.
I usually tell the cashier to not give me those bags even when they were free. I can only use so many garbage bin liners. The rest go straight to the recycling... what a waste.
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Aug 18, 2008
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Cheap Cat wrote: This is a profit made under the pretense that they were doing something good for the environment. As I have said before, this was never about the environment, it was always about money.

Well... actually, they said they were going green.... and money is green :D

Btw, your reusable bags are full of lead. That's not really good either...

But to each his own.
Newbie
Dec 29, 2010
61 posts
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Georgina
Piro21 wrote: So how are these fees negatively affecting your lifestyle? Are they forcing you to buy the bags? Why are you only stopping on January 10th? Why not now? Do you always get this upset when companies donate their own money to charity?

They are not donating THEIR OWN money to charity - they are donating mine!!

And yes - I get upset when they claim to charge this fee to 'help the environment' and then only donate 5% of all proceeds to helping the environment.

That's pitiful.
Newbie
Dec 29, 2010
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Georgina
jcon wrote: Did you see how many bags were diverted from landfills?

More people use recycled bags now rather than pay the $.05.

Clearly it's working.

The issue isn't whether or not it's working... I even said in my post that 1.3 billion bags were saved.

The problem is Loblaws is profiting from this 'environmental initiative'.
Deal Expert
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imgrund wrote: They are not donating THEIR OWN money to charity - they are donating mine!!

And yes - I get upset when they claim to charge this fee to 'help the environment' and then only donate 5% of all proceeds to helping the environment.

That's pitiful.

So they robbed you and donated your money to charity? :-0 Those monsters! You should have called the cops right there on the spot!

That didn't actually happen though, did it? They donated their money that they made by selling bags that you willingly paid for. If you didn't want to give your money to them you wouldn't have bought the bags, would you? When you buy them you're exchanging money for convenience, just like you would anywhere else. They don't have (and never have had) an obligation to give bags to you for free.

Them cutting off the free supply probably comes both from environmental concern and wanting to cut overhead and stay competitive among the growing number of players in the food business. Shoppers, Wal-mart, Costco, Metro, Highland Farms, Foody Mart, wholesalers, new American chains, and a whole bunch of others have stepped up, and Loblaws needs to stay competitive if it's going to survive. I have absolutely no problem with them cutting off such a waste of resources and money. The fact that so much less plastic has been tossed in the trash helps the environment, and my groceries are probably a few cents cheaper now that I don't have to pay for your bags every week.
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Dec 29, 2010
61 posts
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Georgina
Ojam wrote: I cannot believe there are still people whining and crying about the 5cent plastic bags, it's just astonishing. Words cannot describe it. :facepalm:
After researching this more, Loblaws has let slip that this $3 million donation will be over three years. By this time, they will have brought in or saved $166.5 million. This is a 1.8% donation rate!!

The only analogy I have for this is a child having an ice cream cone stand and charging $1.50 and saying that proceeds will go the the Sick Kids Foundation. Then, they take the 30 cents that it costs to make the cone, leaving them with $1.20. They then take 2 cents and give it to Sick Kids and pocket $1.18 for themselves.

If my response, "Why not buy ice creams from another stand" is whining and crying, then so be it.
Newbie
Dec 29, 2010
61 posts
24 upvotes
Georgina
Piro21 wrote: So they robbed you and donated your money to charity? :-0 Those monsters! You should have called the cops right there on the spot!

That didn't actually happen though, did it? They donated their money that they made by selling bags that you willingly paid for. If you didn't want to give your money to them you wouldn't have bought the bags, would you? When you buy them you're exchanging money for convenience, just like you would anywhere else. They don't have (and never have had) an obligation to give bags to you for free.

Them cutting off the free supply probably comes both from environmental concern and wanting to cut overhead and stay competitive among the growing number of players in the food business. Shoppers, Wal-mart, Costco, Metro, Highland Farms, Foody Mart, wholesalers, new American chains, and a whole bunch of others have stepped up, and Loblaws needs to stay competitive if it's going to survive. I have absolutely no problem with them cutting off such a waste of resources and money. The fact that so much less plastic has been tossed in the trash helps the environment, and my groceries are probably a few cents cheaper now that I don't have to pay for your bags every week.
Oh of course they are going to put the money they save back into the cost of your groceries. That's why they just outlined a $750 million dollar plan to upgrade their stores.

So this money that I'm paying Loblaws for my bags won't make your groceries cheaper, but it will illuminate them better while you're picking them off the shelves. Hope that makes you happy.

By the way, feel free to write me a cheque for $100 - I will "donate proceeds to an environmental charity."

If I do this the Loblaws way:
1. $1.80 will go to an environmental fund;
2. $98.20 will go into my pocket.

But of course, to TRULY do it the Loblaws way, I'll leave out the last sentence.

Remember the Toronto girl who ran a bogus cancer charity, while faking to have cancer herself, and raked in $13 000? She was charged with fraud. But according to your logic if she would just simply donate 1.8% of this (i.e. $234) to cancer, than she didn't 'rob' anyone. In fact, accoridng to your logic, the cops shouldn't even be called.
Deal Addict
Aug 11, 2007
1168 posts
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Can someone tell me how many people have died due to plastic bags (other than those murdered with them/that used them for suicide/that used them for stupid sex stunts)?

I want to know what these bags are doing to people that makes it worth banning them. Failing that, explain how they are harming the environment when used and disposed of properly (*). And, I'd really like to know how many people are hurt each year carrying groceries in a box. And then please compare that to the amount of people expected to become sick from using re-usable bags filled with bacteria.

It's important that we put this in perspective so we can understand how not offering free boxes at the Loblaw's stores that now charge for bags (the ones that charged for bags before had free boxes) is saving people and/or the environment. If it isn't/if there isn't good proof, then this is just greenwashing. Which is fine. Personally, I do all my grocery shopping at WalMart now. Haven't stepped into a Loblaw's store for a long time, except for below cost specials.

* - Improperly disposed of "re-usable" bags are just as bad as improperly disposed of "non-reusable" bags, as far as I can tell.

Anyone in for a group buy of some cases of "non-reusable" (although everyone I know of re-uses them for garbage and pet poop) bags straight from China? They're less than 1 cent each bought in reasonable bulk. PM me. I'm thinking of buying 10,000 or more of them. Maybe with enough purchased we can get something written on them like "I saved 4 cents by bringing my own bags today". With a large enough group purchase we might get the price even lower.

And, from the Red Flag Deals perspective, this is easily $50+ a year you're wasting if you're buying these things at these ridiculous prices. For those using re-usable bags, please instead calculate the extra costs you incur from buying extra garbage bags and pet bags that you weren't buying because you had free disposable bags, along with the cost of buying (and replacing) re-usable bags, and I'd say that's $50 a year as well.

Those who say it's only 5 cents, that's fine. Please, don't post deals for anything low priced, though. For example, phone cards. People such as yourself would pay 5 cents a minute for long distance. The rest of us think that's way too much and would rather pay 1 cent a minute or less. But I'm sure you'd say it's not worth your time.
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Nov 15, 2004
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imgrund wrote: Oh of course they are going to put the money they save back into the cost of your groceries. That's why they just outlined a $750 million dollar plan to upgrade their stores.

So this money that I'm paying Loblaws for my bags won't make your groceries cheaper, but it will illuminate them better while you're picking them off the shelves. Hope that makes you happy.
It does, actually :) I live in a relatively nice area, and I like it this way. I remember the really terrible discount grocery stores I used to go to when we first moved here, and while I like saving money, there are some things I'll sacrifice a few cents for.
By the way, feel free to write me a cheque for $100 - I will "donate proceeds to an environmental charity."

If I do this the Loblaws way:
1. $1.80 will go to an environmental fund;
2. $98.20 will go into my pocket.

But of course, to TRULY do it the Loblaws way, I'll leave out the last sentence.

Remember the Toronto girl who ran a bogus cancer charity, while faking to have cancer herself, and raked in $13 000? She was charged with fraud. But according to your logic if she would just simply donate 1.8% of this (i.e. $234) to cancer, than she didn't 'rob' anyone. In fact, accoridng to your logic, the cops shouldn't even be called.

I have never seen anyone miss the point of something this completely before. It's like you're trying. Let me use an example you might understand then:

You run a gas station that's been operating under the full-serve model since you started the business. Some people really like it, most don't care, and some complain about not being able to pump their own gas and saving time. One day, you decide to move to self-serve, but will still do full-serve for $1 if people ask for it. You brand this initiative as 'express', and focus on how it will save all of your customers time, while liking the fact that you're now saving money by not providing a service you're sure most of your customers didn't want. There's some grumbling, but the majority of your customers are cool with self-serve, and may occasionally opt for full-serve if they don't feel like doing it themselves that day. You use your new money to improve your stations and open new ones, and your business thrives. There is, of course, a dedicated subset of customers who don't like having to pay for the service now, and who feel that you lied to them because you dared to brand it as being all about saving customers time when it was about both that and making your operations leaner. They may or may not leave for your competitors, but it doesn't make much of a difference overall, especially when your leaner operations will beat out those competitors in the long term.

Adopting this infantile attitude of "MY MONEY!" regarding buying a bag to get your groceries home makes about as much sense as me being upset at Rogers for expecting me to buy my own TV to use their service instead of them just giving me one for free.
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Nov 15, 2004
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Toronto
shepd wrote: Can someone tell me how many people have died due to plastic bags (other than those murdered with them/that used them for suicide/that used them for stupid sex stunts)?

I want to know what these bags are doing to people that makes it worth banning them. Failing that, explain how they are harming the environment when used and disposed of properly (*). And, I'd really like to know how many people are hurt each year carrying groceries in a box. And then please compare that to the amount of people expected to become sick from using re-usable bags filled with bacteria.

It's important that we put this in perspective so we can understand how not offering free boxes at the Loblaw's stores that now charge for bags (the ones that charged for bags before had free boxes) is saving people and/or the environment. If it isn't/if there isn't good proof, then this is just greenwashing. Which is fine. Personally, I do all my grocery shopping at WalMart now. Haven't stepped into a Loblaw's store for a long time, except for below cost specials.

* - Improperly disposed of "re-usable" bags are just as bad as improperly disposed of "non-reusable" bags, as far as I can tell.

Anyone in for a group buy of some cases of "non-reusable" (although everyone I know of re-uses them for garbage and pet poop) bags straight from China? They're less than 1 cent each bought in reasonable bulk. PM me. I'm thinking of buying 10,000 or more of them. Maybe with enough purchased we can get something written on them like "I saved 4 cents by bringing my own bags today". With a large enough group purchase we might get the price even lower.

And, from the Red Flag Deals perspective, this is easily $50+ a year you're wasting if you're buying these things at these ridiculous prices. For those using re-usable bags, please instead calculate the extra costs you incur from buying extra garbage bags and pet bags that you weren't buying because you had free disposable bags, along with the cost of buying (and replacing) re-usable bags, and I'd say that's $50 a year as well.

Those who say it's only 5 cents, that's fine. Please, don't post deals for anything low priced, though. For example, phone cards. People such as yourself would pay 5 cents a minute for long distance. The rest of us think that's way too much and would rather pay 1 cent a minute or less. But I'm sure you'd say it's not worth your time.

Who do you know that disposes of plastic grocery bags properly? What is the proper way of disposing of them anyways?

It's a matter of scale. If you use one or two reusable bags you can expect to save the roughly 8 bags a week the Sun article claims the average household uses. The usage trends can stay the same, but it scales the same way as car numbers do to car crashes: the fewer disposable bags used, the fewer end up fluttering down the street, the fewer end up in the grass at the side of the road intertwined with the dirt, the fewer end up breaking down into those little plastic pieces and eaten by wildlife (including the stuff we eat), the fewer end up suffocating a kid someone didn't watch for a second, etc. Without even factoring in the money and energy spent creating, transporting, and disposing of them, taking 416 of them per household per year out of circulation makes quite a difference. A lot of stores use those really crappy ones that need doubing up to even hold anything as well, so that number could be higher.

The "please don't post deals for anything else low priced" attitude doesn't really apply here. It's like saying everyone should only ever buy clothes from Wal-Mart, and that springing for anything that won't fall apart after a few washes is a huge waste of money. Reusable bags can be had for free at many places, and are both stronger and more comfortable to carry than plastic grocery bags.
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Oct 14, 2003
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imgrund wrote: The problem is Loblaws is profiting from this 'environmental initiative'.
OH NO! Profits! The horror of it all!

I guess if your argument is that they are profiting from what they say is helping the environment there are all kinds of things you should be boycotting, like reusable cups and bottles, windows with proper insulation, cars with greater fuel efficiency. :facepalm:
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Nov 30, 2008
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flashy-land
don't forget about the money they made from having people buy the $0.99 reusable bags as a result of charging for the 5 cent bags. Anyone who thinks they did this for the environment is very naive.

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