Choices at Check Out Line

Native Americans in Canada Anthropology at Check-out line In this paper, I will discuss the results of an ethnographic observation conducted at the local Stater Brothers Market to document whether people choose paper or plastic bags for their groceries. Based on these results, the paper then discusses the underlying shared ideas that inform these choices. My interest in the study stems from the environmental movement's campaign against the use of plastic.

For years, environmental activists have been very vocal about the environmental costs of using plastic bags, which are often non-biodegradable and non-recyclable. Part of this campaign is a call on consumers to use paper bags for their groceries. Alternatively, environmentalists have also called on consumers to purchase their own cotton bags for use while grocery shopping. Meanwhile, the plastics industry has also campaigned vigorously about the environmentally friendly qualities of its latest products.

The industry argues that the new kinds of plastic take a lesser toll on the environment than manufacturing containers from paper, which uses trees and generates water pollution. Ironically, the plastics industry now argues that the use of plastic bags makes better ecological sense than bags manufactured from paper. This research thus examines whether the environmental movement has been successful in instilling an environmentally friendly worldview among consumers, and if the discussions about the environmental damage that could be caused by plastic bags have convinced consumers to change their behavior.

Conversely, this research also examines if the extensive advertising campaign conducted by the plastics industry on how "plastics make it possible" have influenced the way consumers make their purchases. As a focus of this ethnographic study, the researcher chose to examine the behavior of consumers at the grocery check-out line, to see if they chose plastic or paper bags for their purchases. The ethnographic research for this paper was thus conducted at the check-out line of the Stater Brothers Market.

At midmorning, for two hours, this researcher observed two check-out lanes and documented how the customer answered the question, "Paper or plastic?" The results were overwhelmingly in favor of the plastics industry. Of the 43 people who made purchases, 35 people chose plastic bags while only 8 people chose paper. This translates to an 81% of the shoppers preferring plastic bags. As a further blow to the environmentalists, not a single shopper came in with a reusable cotton bag.

Since I usually choose plastic bags myself to carry my purchases, I expected a greater number of the Stater Brothers shoppers to choose plastic bags as well. However, the overwhelming preference for plastic bags was still a little surprising. In fact, most people seemed to reply "Plastic" automatically, as if they did not consider any other option. Furthermore, when there was a lull in the shopping, I asked some consumers the reasons for their preferences. Many of the people who chose paper bags cited environmental reasons.

They argue that the paper bags were biodegradable, often made from recycled material and did not cause more pollution if they are somehow tossed into bodies of water. In contrast, the people who chose plastic cite convenience as the main reason behind their preferences. A shopper could carry more plastic bags than paper ones. Plastic bags were sturdier and less likely to rip, especially when they get wet. In case of spills on the way home, plastic bags work better to keep the car clean.

One person even cited an "environmental" reason, that he re-used the plastic bags as poop bags for pets and to line small trashcans at home. These results show have many implications regarding how shared ideas can influence human behavior. In this case, the driving factor of the human preference for plastics is convenience. The people who chose plastic were not swayed by advertising campaigns, either from the environmentalists or from the plastics.