A grocery store has come up with a unique method of convincing customers to ditch single-use plastic.

East West Market in Vancouver has started shaming its customers with embarrassing slogans printed on plastic bags.

Anyone not bothering to bring a reusable carrier will have to head through the streets with bags reading “Wart Ointment Wholesale” and “Into the Weird Adult Video Emporium”.

The shop had trialled charging five-cent a bag, but it didn’t have a huge impact, leading to owner David Lee Kwen’s bright idea.

“We wanted to give them something humorous, but also something that made them think at the same time,” he told The Guardian.

“It’s human nature not to want to be told what to do.”

• Read: Plastic straws aren’t the main problem – fishing nets account for half the ocean’s plastic

The store pointed out on Instagram that 1,000,000 plastic bags are used every second.

“It’s hard to always remember a reusable bag. We redesigned our plastic bags to help you never forget again!” the store wrote.

Unfortunately, the idea has slightly backfired, as the humorous bags have been such a hit that they’re now in high demand.

“Some of the customers want to collect them because they love the idea of it,” Kwen continued.

But he’s not lost all motivation for the scheme. “Even if you have the bag, you have to explain its origin to your friends. And then, we’ve started a conversation.

“It’s a double-edged sword. We wanted to address an issue, but we’ve also made something popular, so it’s turned out great.”

What do you think of the plastic bags? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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