Since the beginning of the year, a new step has been added to buying fresh fruit and vegetables in Swiss supermarkets. Previously, the produce went on the scales, the relevant number was entered, a button pushed, and a price sticker produced. Now there’s an extra step: a bag choice must be made. What is going on?
Swiss broadcaster RTS asked some supermarket customers about the change. Most seemed slightly confused by the question and thought the change might be an ecological initiative aimed at reducing the use of single-use paper and plastic bags.
More attentive customers could quickly rule out a new charge for bags. By weighing a bunch of bananas twice, once after selecting a bag and once after selecting no bag you will see there is no extra charge for the bag. If you look closely you might spot that the weight and price is slightly lower when selecting a bag, which reveals the reason for the change: Swiss precision!
Switzerland’s Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), an organisation focused on the scientific study of measurement, decided to mandate the change. The weight of the bag must now be deducted from the weight of everything on the scale to ensure consumers are not paying for the plastic bag containing their bananas.
Deducting the few grams for the weight of the bag means we have moved from a system that charged something for bags to one that doesn’t, removing a small monetary incentive to go bagless and avoid putting an extra bag in the trash. The move might be more accurate but it isn’t more ecological.
And the change won’t shave much off your grocery bill. Saving 2 grams worth on your fruit or vegetables amounts to a only few cents.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.