Why Do You Have To Pay For Bags At Aldi And How Much Are They?
The Aldi supermarket chain no longer offers plastic bags to customers. The store started charging a $0.10 fee for plastic bags at the top of 2023, then eliminated the bags completely by June of that same year. The chain enacted this rule in order to cut down on plastic, becoming the United States' first major retailer to not offer plastic bags to customers. Instead, shoppers can purchase Aldi's reusable bags (which are currently available for $1.09) or paper bags (which are $0.12), or bring their own bags to transport their items. The small fee for Aldi's bags is another incentive for customers to buy the brand's high quality products for low prices, ultimately saving money by reusing bags instead of buying new ones during each trip. Aldi's decision is a game-changer when it comes to plastic waste. Aldi's CEO Jason Hart noted in a press release that refusing to offer plastic bags will keep almost nine million pounds of plastic out of the environment (which, according to Hart, is the weight of 20 Lady Liberty statues).
Tricks for a successful Aldi's trip
On top of its lack of plastic bags, Aldi does have a few odd quirks that make shopping there a very different experience compared to many otherwise similar retailers. There are a few essential tips to learn prior to going to Aldi for the first time, the most important being to bring a quarter! For bigger shopping trips that require a shopping cart, every Aldi location has carts that can only be unlocked with a quarter. However, you get the quarter back once you chain the cart back up at the end of your trip. The coin is mainly a motivation for shoppers to return their carts instead of leaving them throughout the store or the parking lot for workers to collect during the day.
Another key fact about planning an Aldi shopping trip is to go on Wednesday! Aldi Finds — also known as the Aisle of Dreams or Aisle of Shame, depending on who you ask — are released every Wednesday. Since new items are displayed, old items go on sale, making Wednesday the best day to do your weekly shopping.