Report: Hannaford Ends Bag-Payment Plan

Scarborough, Maine Hannaford Bros. Co. plans to stop giving shoppers a 5 cent credit each time they use a reusable tote, according to a report in Albany’s Times Union. The company, which has offered this option since the early 1990s, will end the practice on Monday.

The report indicated that the decision stems from recognizing that the few pennies customers gained for their effort made for a modest reward at best. However, the company now plans to distribute 20,000 of its 99 cent polypropylene totes for free.

Meanwhile, a Washington Post report on Thursday indicated that Washington, D.C.’s City Council is aiming to charge shoppers for each paper and plastic bag they take as part of an effort to decrease waste. If a bill were passed, the 5 cent fee in Washington, D.C. would be split between businesses and the city, which would use its share to help clean the Anacostia River. It would also offer free reusable bags to elderly and low-income residents.