Plastic bags are bad for the environment and often end up in the bellies of marine life. Just last March, a dead whale was found with 88 pounds of plastic bags in its belly. Unfortunately, not everyone is heeding the warning that plastic bags are harming our planet and its inhabitants. So, the East West Market in Vancouver, British Columbia, came up with a hilarious way to discourage customers from using plastic bags.We might buy a bunch of reusable bags to avoid using single-use plastic bags. But we might forget them at home because we rushed out of the house too quickly. So, Canada’s East West Market came up with a devious way to motivate their customers to stir clear of single-use bags for life.
Some of the bags read “Wart Ointment,” or “Colon Care Co-op.” The market’s owner, David Lee Kwen, told The Guardian: “We wanted to give them something humorous, but also something that made them think at the same time.”
It’s playful but not so overly offensive that it would deter his customers from coming into his store again. But what it would do is encourage people who were on the fence about switching to reusable bag to finally make a decision.
One customer quoted Kwen’s slogan: “Avoid the shame. Bring a reusable bag!” Another customer told Global News, “I’d probably carry [my groceries] in my arms before I took one of those bags.” So one could say that the bags are having their intended effect.
Some customers actually find them funny, which has led people to buy them just so they could be the proud owners of one of these insolent bags. When Kwen realized this, he decided to print the slogans on his reusable bags too.
He wants his customers to be more aware of the harmful effects of plastic bags, so they can put their two cents in towards saving the world. Even the smallest contribution can bring humanity a step closer towards a plastic bag free future.
