Zara is now joining the dozens of other retailers in the US who are now charging for bags at checkout. Whether or not the fees are in place and the cost of the fee varies from state to state based on the local law, but many experts say this may become our new normal as shoppers.
Bag bans have been enacted across the country to combat pollution and plastic waste, which has forced retailers to change their checkout strategy or nix single-use bags altogether. Walmart banned plastic bags in certain states and began placing surcharges per shopping bag. And Target followed suit by charging customers for bags at checkout for drive-up and pick-up orders where laws are in place.
Here’s the latest on Zara’s bag fees:
Zara Adds Bag Tax Amid US Bag Bans
According to The Sun, Zara is charging between five and ten cents for their brown paper shopping bags in most states where the fee is enforced.
You may be affected by Zara’s bag fees if you are in states which have enacted legislation around plastic bag use. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, eight states—California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon, and Vermont—have banned single-use plastic bags, but the exact legislation depends on the state and city.
For example, New Jersey has a complete ban on single-use plastic bags and bans single-use paper bags for grocery stores larger than 2,500 feet. This means box-store retailers, like Walmart or Target, cannot fulfill orders with single-use plastic or paper bags. But a store like Zara can continue to use paper bags. For now, it’s up to Zara’s discretion if they want to charge a fee.
READ MORE: Restaurants Are Now Charging A 'Service Fee' To Customers–Where To Spot It On Your Bill!
Zara Bag Fees Already Existed In Europe To Push Reuse
Zara already began charging bag fees in European countries. In 2021, Zara started charging 10 euro cents (roughly $0.12 US) for paper bags in all shops in Spain to urge sustainable practices and reuse among shoppers, according to the company.
“We want to encourage customers to reuse bags," Inditex, Zara’s parent company, said at the time.
As reported by NPR, economist Rebecca Taylor found that in US cities where plastic bag bans are in place, they did what they intended—people in the cities with the bans used fewer plastic bags, which led to about 40 million fewer pounds of plastic trash per year.
She admitted that plastic bag bans aren’t perfect. Bans led to a 120% increase in purchases of garbage bags, for those that use grocery plastic bags for household things like dog poop or trash bins. She also found that plastic bag bans led to an increase in paper waste (she estimated 80 million pounds of extra paper trash per year) and the production of paper involves an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
Still, the expert recommended that the most environment-friendly way to carry groceries is to use the same bag again and again. And she noted that for bag laws, a fee is smarter than a ban. She found that a small fee for bags is just as effective as a ban when trying to encourage reusable bag use, as the fees still offer flexibility for people who reuse plastic bags for household chores like trash and dog pickups.
READ MORE: Walmart Closes Stores In Chicago And Customers Aren't Happy: ‘Where Are We Supposed To Shop Now?’
Customers React To Bag Surcharges At Zara
Of course, not everyone is so pleased with the plastic bag fees, especially at a clothing store like Zara where it’s a little awkward to walk around the mall without your purchases in a bag.
One user explained his woeful situation at a Zara in a Michigan mall on Twitter: “I walked into Zara and saw a pair of nice shoes. At checkout, the salesperson asked me if I wanted to ‘buy a bag for .10’.” The user continued in three parts, “If I don’t I’m just supposed to walk through the mall holding a pair of shoes in my hand?” and two, “Does Zara really expect me to pay a fee to walk around with their branded bag further advertising for them [for free]?” and three, “Do people really pay for their bags!?!??”
mall holding a pair of shoes in my hand? (2) Does @ZARA really expect me to pay a fee to walk around with their branded bag further advertising for them [for free], and (3) do people really pay for their bags!?!?? (2/3)
— Timothy David Ray (@TimDavidRay) February 11, 2023
He finished, “I’ve never shopped there before so this was all new and strange to me. I left the shoes AND the bag at Zara.” Yikes, there goes one shopper!
Another shopper tweeted, “Zara making people pay for a paper bag is an absolute scam but nobody is ready to talk about it.”
Zara making people pay for a paper bag is an absolute scam but nobody is ready to talk about it
— Waist Beads By Nora (@tosinnora) November 21, 2022
In a separate tweet, one user posted a comedic video rant about the bans which led to a fit of laughing emojis in the replies. Someone replied that it was ridiculous Zara was charging for bags when they produce “cheap clothes you can’t wear more than once anyway.” Someone else chimed in, “It’s giving me Aldi,” (the discount supermarket where bags have always come with a price).
Love the bag bans and fees or hate them, they don’t seem to be going around anytime soon. NPR reported in 2019 that the “national movement” to limit single-use bags was “gaining steam”—at that time, more than 240 cities and counties passed laws that banned or taxed plastic bags, which began in 2007.
Now, over 30 US states and territories have either banned, partially banned, put a charge on plastic bags, or are in the process of introducing legislation against their use. Looks like we won’t be forgetting our reusable bags at home anymore...
