The bags, emblazoned with logos of phony businesses like “The Colon Care Co-Op,” “Into the Weird Adult Video Emporium” and “Dr. Toew’s Wart Ointment Wholesale,” serve as a reminder to customers to bring in a reusable bag next time.
"Even though they have a plastic bag today, next time they will have a cloth one," David Lee Kwen, owner of the East West Market, told Global News.
The store charges 5 cents for plastic bags. Kwen has only stocked 1,000 of the bags. However, many shoppers are buying them for their novelty.
"It's certainly generated interest in what we're trying to put out," Kwen told Global News. "Once you start a conversation, it will skyrocket from there, I think."
Vancouver does not have a ban against plastic bags. The city does have a Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy to decrease waste.
"The message is, we should make a conscious effort to save our planet one step at a time," Kwen told Global News. "No matter how small a contribution is, everybody should start somewhere."
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