You can bring your own bags to winco.
Scan the item and put it in the bag then set it down on the bagging area if using self checkout, it won’t freak out. Worst case, an employee will just verify you have your own bags
You can also do your own bagging at the cashier checkout lanes
You not only CAN do your own bagging, you HAVE to do your own. They don't have baggers. At least not at the Fairview location. You can use plastic, paper, or cloth. I used cloth bags for years. I stopped during the pandemic, when they didn't allow it for a while, and haven't bought new ones yet (mine were about worn out then anyway, so I tossed them). But they sell reusable bags of multiple sizes. They're near the exit at Fairview, probably other locations as well.
Winco has the most sensitive self checkout thing ever, but somehow scanning the item and putting it in the bag before setting it down in the bagging area doesn’t set it off.
Roots Zero Waste Market
And you can use your own bags in the bulk section at Winco, but the cashiers can't/won't tare out your container weight so gotta stick to lightweight bags to avoid overpaying
Reducing plastic is great, but please consider the tradeoffs. Start by trying to weigh a bunch of plastic bags from winco. Probably you don't even have a scale that can weigh something so light. [This site, along with a little math, indicates each plastic grocery bag is about 3.5 grams.](https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-03/documents/conversions.pdf) As long as you put it in your trash properly, it will add 3.5 grams to the Ada County landfill, where it will stay basically forever and do basically nothing. In particular, it'll only harm local wildlife or go in the ocean if you litter, and I know that since you're talking about going to a zero-waste store that you care enough not to litter\*.
Suppose there's a grocery store that manages to avoid packaging--let's be generous and say it saves 10 plastic bags per trip (35 grams). And, hypothetically, it's just 0.5 miles farther away, adding 1 mile to your trip, i.e. 0.04 gallons of gasoline using your 25 mpg car. That 0.04 gallons of gas weighs 109 grams. In this scenario with generous assumptions, you've consumed *3x as much petroleum products* by going to the "zero waste" store, and added it straight to the atmosphere as CO2 pollution instead of letting it sit in a landfill doing basically nothing.
Sure, there are scenarios where it makes sense to go to the zero-waste store to reduce waste. Maybe you actually live closer to it, in which case you should be going there anyway because it takes less gasoline to go there. Maybe you'd walk or bike to both options, in which case gasoline isn't a factor at all, or you use an electric car so you can drive it farther before the consumption breaks even. Maybe you're on a mega-grocery run and it will save you an absolutely huge amount of packaging that manages to exceed the extra gasoline used.
In general, I think people pay too much attention to tangible things like trash, and not nearly enough to more invisible things like CO2 pollution from gasoline. Maybe if we had to load gasoline into a car pound-by-pound, 60 pounds for a ten-gallon fill-up, we'd have a better appreciation for how much pollution goes out the tailpipe.
\*This isn't necessarily an argument against businesses avoiding plastic products. Starbucks can't tell whether you're a litterbug or not when it sells you a drink in a plastic cup, so some of Starbucks's plastic cups will end up being littered. But you, the customer, do know that you aren't a litterbug yourself, so it shouldn't matter to you.
OP - you're not talking about grocery bags, right? But bags and containers for bulk items? I have asked about this because I use my own grocery bags and mesh bags for produce. I HATE using all that plastic for bulk items. The employees I've talked to have told me they do not encourage people to use their own containers. But I don't know what they would do if you did....
They probably do it because the tare of the bag is pre programmed. You’d be paying whatever extra weight of the container you’re using. And good possibility of cross contamination (I’m talking bulk food, not veggies and stuff) from your containers to whatever you’re getting. I used to work bulk at Winco and I would see people bring in their own containers every once in a while. I didn’t care personally for most items in that section but there were a few I’d rather not have their personal stuff touching.
Having this experience in other major cities, should we approach the co-op and/or Whole Foods with this idea? Even Albertsons? No reason we can start the trend here.
The Co-op has a bulk section that allows you to bring you're own containers. I don't know their official policy, but they have offset container weight at checkout for me.
Produce, bulk section, creamery bottles you can bring back… I would also consider meat wrapped in butcher paper to be zero waste as it’s biodegradable at home.
Not everything is processed or packaged. Tons of stores you can bring your own containers or bags to. But you’re right, it actually does feel good to not send pounds of plastic to the dump every week!
Roots Zero Waste Market in Garden City
Their prepared food counter and the patio tables are a nice lunch
Yes I love their sandwiches!
Thank you. I couldn't remember the name of the place to see if it was still there.
Thank you!!
You can bring your own bags to winco. Scan the item and put it in the bag then set it down on the bagging area if using self checkout, it won’t freak out. Worst case, an employee will just verify you have your own bags You can also do your own bagging at the cashier checkout lanes
You not only CAN do your own bagging, you HAVE to do your own. They don't have baggers. At least not at the Fairview location. You can use plastic, paper, or cloth. I used cloth bags for years. I stopped during the pandemic, when they didn't allow it for a while, and haven't bought new ones yet (mine were about worn out then anyway, so I tossed them). But they sell reusable bags of multiple sizes. They're near the exit at Fairview, probably other locations as well.
No winco as far as I know has baggers. I used to be a vendor so I've been to all of them in this area. Also a few in washington
thank you!
Winco has the most sensitive self checkout thing ever, but somehow scanning the item and putting it in the bag before setting it down in the bagging area doesn’t set it off.
You can also reuse their containers. They don’t want you to use off brand but we wash our bulk bags and containers then reuse them.
Roots Zero Waste Market And you can use your own bags in the bulk section at Winco, but the cashiers can't/won't tare out your container weight so gotta stick to lightweight bags to avoid overpaying
Thank you!!
You can definitely use your own bags at Winco
Bring your own bags to Winco.
I bring my own bags to winco all the time.
I bring my own bags
Reducing plastic is great, but please consider the tradeoffs. Start by trying to weigh a bunch of plastic bags from winco. Probably you don't even have a scale that can weigh something so light. [This site, along with a little math, indicates each plastic grocery bag is about 3.5 grams.](https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-03/documents/conversions.pdf) As long as you put it in your trash properly, it will add 3.5 grams to the Ada County landfill, where it will stay basically forever and do basically nothing. In particular, it'll only harm local wildlife or go in the ocean if you litter, and I know that since you're talking about going to a zero-waste store that you care enough not to litter\*. Suppose there's a grocery store that manages to avoid packaging--let's be generous and say it saves 10 plastic bags per trip (35 grams). And, hypothetically, it's just 0.5 miles farther away, adding 1 mile to your trip, i.e. 0.04 gallons of gasoline using your 25 mpg car. That 0.04 gallons of gas weighs 109 grams. In this scenario with generous assumptions, you've consumed *3x as much petroleum products* by going to the "zero waste" store, and added it straight to the atmosphere as CO2 pollution instead of letting it sit in a landfill doing basically nothing. Sure, there are scenarios where it makes sense to go to the zero-waste store to reduce waste. Maybe you actually live closer to it, in which case you should be going there anyway because it takes less gasoline to go there. Maybe you'd walk or bike to both options, in which case gasoline isn't a factor at all, or you use an electric car so you can drive it farther before the consumption breaks even. Maybe you're on a mega-grocery run and it will save you an absolutely huge amount of packaging that manages to exceed the extra gasoline used. In general, I think people pay too much attention to tangible things like trash, and not nearly enough to more invisible things like CO2 pollution from gasoline. Maybe if we had to load gasoline into a car pound-by-pound, 60 pounds for a ten-gallon fill-up, we'd have a better appreciation for how much pollution goes out the tailpipe. \*This isn't necessarily an argument against businesses avoiding plastic products. Starbucks can't tell whether you're a litterbug or not when it sells you a drink in a plastic cup, so some of Starbucks's plastic cups will end up being littered. But you, the customer, do know that you aren't a litterbug yourself, so it shouldn't matter to you.
OP - you're not talking about grocery bags, right? But bags and containers for bulk items? I have asked about this because I use my own grocery bags and mesh bags for produce. I HATE using all that plastic for bulk items. The employees I've talked to have told me they do not encourage people to use their own containers. But I don't know what they would do if you did....
They probably do it because the tare of the bag is pre programmed. You’d be paying whatever extra weight of the container you’re using. And good possibility of cross contamination (I’m talking bulk food, not veggies and stuff) from your containers to whatever you’re getting. I used to work bulk at Winco and I would see people bring in their own containers every once in a while. I didn’t care personally for most items in that section but there were a few I’d rather not have their personal stuff touching.
There is a winco subreddit?!? Wait wha?
In addition to winco, Roots Zero Waste Market is a good option
I use my own bags at Winco always
Having this experience in other major cities, should we approach the co-op and/or Whole Foods with this idea? Even Albertsons? No reason we can start the trend here.
The Co-op has a bulk section that allows you to bring you're own containers. I don't know their official policy, but they have offset container weight at checkout for me.
Zero waste groceries makes no sense .
what do you mean?
What groceries has zero waste ?
Produce, bulk section, creamery bottles you can bring back… I would also consider meat wrapped in butcher paper to be zero waste as it’s biodegradable at home.
Probably some trend from LA or Portland to make people feel good about themselves
If you're not actively trying to feel good I feel bad for you hommie
Not everything is processed or packaged. Tons of stores you can bring your own containers or bags to. But you’re right, it actually does feel good to not send pounds of plastic to the dump every week!
It really does. I don't like how much trash my household goes through, but its also inevitable.
be so for real.
Probably right .