Grocery store owner David Lee Kwan initially hoped that a fee on single-use bags would discourage his customers from using them. But when the five-cent a bag charge failed to stop people from using plastic, he tried a different approach. So now when customers don’t bring their own bags to the East West Market in Vancouver, they will instead have to carry their groceries home in bags reading “Wart Ointment Wholesale” or “Into the Weird Adult Video Emporium”.
Kwan insists that the strange grocery bags aren’t to embarrass his customers. Rather, he wants to give them something humorous that will also make them think twice about their consumption habits. Fortunately for Kwan and the environment, he won’t even be able to offer plastic bags soon after Canada announced plans to ban single-use plastics in 2021, including grocery bags, plastic cutlery and straws.
