Reusable Bag Users Are More Likely to Buy Veggies & Junk Food

When you go grocery shopping, do you bring your own reusable bags to use, or do you opt to use the disposable ones provided by the store? It turns out your choice of bag actually says something about what you’re buying at the store. Researchers from Harvard and Duke Universities analyzed the purchasing habits of loyalty cardholders at a California grocery store over a two year period. Study authors write in their report, “Grocery store shoppers who bring their own bags are more likely to purchase organic produce and other healthy food. But those same shoppers often feel virtuous, because they are acting in an environmentally responsible way.” It turns out that feeling often leads reusable bag users to feel they deserve to be rewarded, and that they should treat themselves to cookies, potato chips, or other types of junk food. The good news is that the effect was less pronounced when shoppers were accompanied by young children. The findings could have implications for how certain foods are marketed in stores where reusable bags are popular. (UPI) (Image: www.flickr.com)