Oregon’s handle-less paper bags are frustrating some shoppers. Stores aren’t saying much.
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Six years ago, Oregon shoppers were forced to rethink a simple part of everyday life when the state banned single-use plastic bags. Grocery stores across the state shifted heavily to paper, and most customers adapted quickly.
Now, another checkout change is catching shoppers off guard.
Safeway, Albertsons, and Fred Meyer stores across Central Oregon have largely switched to paper grocery bags without handles, a move that has quietly sparked frustration for some customers who say the bags are harder to carry and more prone to breaking.
The change has been in place for more than a year at some stores, though many shoppers say they’re only now noticing how much of a difference those small paper handles made.
For disabled Marine veteran John Moe, grocery trips have become noticeably more difficult.
Though Moe says he prefers paper bags over plastic, the handle-less versions have created new frustrations during routine shopping runs. When asked whether he’s experienced issues with the bags breaking, Moe answered simply: “Yeah...Especially when you have to pick them up off the ground.”
For shoppers carrying heavier loads, unloading groceries into vehicles, or trying to make fewer trips from the car to the house, the missing handles have become more than a minor inconvenience.
The company that owns Safeway and Albertsons did not respond to multiple requests for comment from KTVZ regarding the change. However, the company previously told ABC7 Bay Area the issue stems from supplier problems and a global shortage of paper bags with handles.
Fred Meyer’s parent company also had not responded to KTVZ’s questions by the time this story aired.
Not every shopper is upset about the switch.
Sunriver resident Mike Jensen said the lack of handles doesn’t bother him much at all. In fact, he says he never fully trusted them to begin with.
“You know, it doesn't really matter to me very much,” Jensen said. “I don't really care about handles. I use the paper bags for the firestarter, so it's all good with me.”
When asked whether not having handles makes it harder to carry groceries in and out, Jensen shrugged off the concern. “I don't quite trust the handles,” he said.
The debate may seem small, but it highlights how even minor changes at the grocery store can quickly become part of people’s daily routines and daily frustrations.
