Everything Costs: Would Texans Tolerate Bag Or To-Go Container Fees?

A TikTok video recently went viral of a woman complaining about a 10-cent bag fee on her Chic-fil-A order. She was outraged and threatened Chic-fil-a: "Count your days."

However, it wasn't Chic-fil-a's fault she got the bag upcharge, it's local law in her town. It went into effect this past January but I suppose this is the first time she noticed.

Here in Texas, some companies and some cities, like Dallas, are experimenting with bag fees, hoping that consumers will opt for reusable bags.

Single-use bags fill landfills and break down into microplastics, contaminating our food supply. However, they are convenient and many of us do find ways to reuse them at least once (it's what I use to scoop the cat box).

In a capitalist world, consumers tend to dictate store policy, and in a democracy, voters do too. I asked several of my fellow Texans how the felt about bag fees.

I even took it one step further and asked about another big source of single-use trash: to-go containers.

Bag fees were controversial, with about half of the people I asked being adamantly against them, and the other half okay with it.

They should include that in their budget. So, no. I disagree with this. It's their responsibility to provide these things, therefore I shouldn't be charged for it.

We should be using the reusable ones anyway. They literally cost a dollar. No where does it say it's the responsibility of said store or restaurant to provide those to the customer. Charge them and hopefully more people will use the reusable ones Instead when it hits their pocket book.

I think it's rude actually.

I'm good with it! Especially if the items are biodegradable ... the items will end up in the landfill.

We need to change our bag habits. Hitting us with a small fee might be the irritant we need to change. I keep reusable bags in my car and it helps me remember. If I had to remember from home, I would be hopeless.

To-go containers were less controversial- in that most people absolutely disagreed with paying for them.

I have never been to a restaurant that charged for a to-go container and I would not pay it, and would raise cain and never go back. What if I ordered a to-go meal, AND Then they told me there was a container charge? I would just walk out and not pay for any of it.

The truth is, you DO pay for bags and to-go containers, as they are built into the cost of operating the business. However, here in Texas, we tend to find it very rude to see it on our receipt.