So have you been to an SAQ lately? I ventured to one last night to pick up a few bottles of red wine for a dinner party. I had the cashier explain to me that there is no longer paper, plastic bags... only re-usable bags sold to you for the convenience of .75 cents or 4$ based on the size. I was intrigued as so many thoughts and questions were running through my head. I paid, thank him for the info and took no bag. So here's my devils advocate in thinking this one through. I do believe it's a step towards being environmentally aware, but is it really a step forward in environmental change? I think not. The bag change was effective Jan. 1, as their way of doing their part to help the environment. So my first question is where are all the leftover bags? did the SAQ really dwindle down the stock so perfectly that on Jan 1 they were clean and ready to go or did they throw them out? One could argue it's a great way for the SAQ to save money. Now not having the extra cost of bags, and in fact charging the consumer to pay for it. These bags are usually produced in ASIA, and bought in large qtys to drive the cost per bag down sometime as low as 4 cents a bag. Now its been reported that the proceeds will go toward the SAQ's environmental projects, including a green roof at the board's central distribution centre. what does this really mean?

So any retailer out there looking to get out of a cost, go "enviro", make your consumer pay for it and call it a green project. Is this a bar we want to set? SAQ makes profits, why don't they really show us their dedication and do it themselves. I guess its SAQ's way of helping me be an environmental consciousness consumer. Whats wrong with Paper bags? paper is a renewable resource, and we've come to a point in human society to do a better job in making and producing paper with way less toll on the environment. Is the re-usable bag made by hand and all natural fabrics? or in some large factory no doubt creating pollution somehow with machines, and unnatural chemicals. ? Seriously what is wrong with straight up recycled paper? it would encourage us to waste so much less in so many other areas! instead of only talking about bags. Why not the marketing signs, the fliers they send out, the catalogs they make, the receipt rolls.. why is moving those to recycled paper not part of the green project? instead we would rather produce another tangible item to show off, print a logo on, and feel good about the trendy environment. Why not recycle all the glass? I'm tired of these attempts to cash in on environment. I'm game for awareness of environment, and happy to see they are indeed aware. Yet don't tell me the bag change is a great thing, especially if your asking me to pay for it. BYOB will have a new meaning: bring your own bag.That's my devils advocate on that subject.