Bag. No Want.

[Hon'ya-chan]

What is it with people dumping bags after I bagged the item and then telling me "I don't want a bag."

IF YOU DON'T WANT A DAMN BAG, TELL ME BEFORE I BAG THE DAMN ITEM!!! HELL< GRUNT YOUR LIKES IF POSSIBLE SO THAT I CAN TRANSLATE CAVEMAN TO ENGRISH!!!

Sorry, it's that time of the year.

[Crow The Robot]

I'll take their bags.

[simpleyme]

I will take that over the endless conversation about how they are saving us money and saving the environment

okay it all true but I have heard it all several times this hour already

[Chromatix]

In Finland, the bags (paper and plastic) are under the store side of the checkout belt. If you want one, you pick it up and put it on the belt (and are charged for it). The bags are plenty strong enough to be reused, so many people do, and thus picking up new bags is comparatively exceptional. When they get ratty, they usually become bin bags and are disposed of that way.

The checkout operator doesn't usually bag your goods up, though they probably will if asked to. They will, however, offer to wrap frozen things in smaller bags (which are free, but not nearly as durable - and if you're feeling like a cheapskate, you can use them yourself). Instead, there's a second belt where the scanned goods are placed, and you pick it all up from there.

In fact, I think this is roughly how it's done all over Europe.