It is a strange, long-standing psychological condition that affects shoppers in consumer cooperatives, manifested in an insistence on excessive use of bags—even if it means placing 10 small items in 10 separate bags.
In recent years, the syndrome has spread to cooperative staff, to the point that they insist on a “plastic separation” policy, and if you ask them to do the opposite, they are surprised!
It doesn’t matter whether the shopper’s house is next door to the co-op or in Samarkand.
Despite official and public warnings from the Environment Public Authority and Kuwait Environment Protection Society and others about plastic hazards, and initiatives encouraging people to use biodegradable bags, this doesn’t eliminate the need to reduce their use and adopt sustainable alternatives.
The Co-op Bags Syndrome has negative health, national, and financial impacts. How?
In many countries, shoppers put everything in one bag, and no diseases have spread from “mixing” items
In fact, product packaging techniques have advanced significantly in recent decades, making it very difficult for a product’s contents to leak, unless it is glass that can break.
In many countries, shoppers put everything in one bag, and there have been no reported cases of fainting, exhaustion, or death from “mixing” items. Therefore, shoppers are health-safe from mixing hazards, if any exist.
Nationally, we’re a people who daily declare “love for Kuwait.” So where’s the concern about national environmental pollution from bag waste?
Even if plastic is made from “environmentally friendly materials,” the bag manufacturing process itself usually produces pollutants. At minimum, there’s fuel consumed in generating electricity for the factory.
This brings us to the final point – the financial aspect, which personally affects the shareholder.
It’s in the interest of cooperative society shareholders and boards of directors to increase revenues and reduce expenses to increase annual profits.
So does excessive use of bags reduce costs and increase year-end profits? No matter what each individual bag costs?
Just as shareholders pay for “free” items and some promotions, they also pay for bags from their own pockets, either through profit deductions or price increases at the cashier. Nothing is free.
We believe and recommend economizing on plastic bags, and perhaps using reusable types, as they’re better for the environment, the country, and your pocket.
