RAY'S FOOD PLACE TO STOP OFFERING PLASTIC BAGS ON MONDAY

Paper or plastic? It’s the age-old question customers prepare for when stepping up to the cash register. But come Monday, customers at Ray’s Food Place will have to use paper or bring their own bag.
 
It’s a change C&K Market Inc. made to its retailers. Locally, that’s Ray’s Food Place.
 
"We’ve been testing this for the past 6 months or so in this store," Robert Parker said.
 
Parker is the Store Manager at the Ray’s Food Place in McKinleyville and says Fortuna was also a test site.
 
"We’ve actually found that our cost has gone down," he said.
 
He said the brown bags not only hold more items, but it’s also been encouraging shoppers to bring their own reusable ones.
 
"Since we've went away from plastic, we've seen the amount of reusable bags coming into the store increase dramatically," Parker said.
 
Janet Fesler is one of those customers. She’s been using reusable bags for two years.
 
"And I bring back the brown bags and the produce bags and reuse those," Fesler said.
 
She said she’s happy about the change.
 
“I want to see us use less, and less of the plastic that you see strewn around on the highways," she said.
 
Robert, a Ray’s Food Place shopper wouldn't give his last name or where he lives, but did say he likes the plastic bags.
 
"Obviously some of us use those plastic bags for other uses," Robert said.
 
But said banning them is the right thing to do.
 
"It’s good for the earth."
 
Parker adds that the stores won’t be completely plastic free.
 
"We’re still going to offer plastic bags in the meat department, in the bulk foods, and produce for wet, leaky items," Parker said.
 
But it in the front, it's just paper.