McDonald's has started charging for bags, and here's why it's a 'good thing'

McDonald’s has started charging for its paper bags at some stores across the US and people are outraged – but it’s a good thing.

The decision to charge for bags wasn’t made by the fast food chain at all, and it has nothing to do with increasing profits.

McDonald’s charging for bags

The new McDonald’s bad charge isn’t a nationwide policy, but the hidden cost has been cropping up at many locations in recent months.

A video of a self-ordering kiosk somewhere in the US is circling Twitter/X which clearly says it costs “$0.10” for a brown paper bag.

“McDonald’s charging for bags now? What’s next, charging for extra ketchup? They’re nickel-and-diming us like a broke slot machine,” someone commented.

Another wrote: “Seems like McDonald’s is turning into the golden archenemies of our wallets!”

Why McDonald’s is charging for bags

McDonald’s is charging for bags due to a $0.10 tax that has been implemented in some states across the US to reduce the impact on the environment. The small cost limits the number of bags given out as people don’t want to pay it.

For example, the Bag it Right (Better Bag Bill) went into force in Maryland on January 1, 2024, which prohibits all retail establishments from providing plastic carryout bags to shoppers. It also forces them to charge at least 10 cents for each paper carryout or reusable bag provided to a customer.

The purpose of the ban is to protect the environment and marine life, reduce litter and tackle wear-and-tear on recycling machinery due to the improper disposal of plastic bags in recycling bins.

It affects all retail stores, restaurants, grocery stores, or any other establishment that provides single-use plastic bags to its customers due to the sale of a product or service, whether for-profit or not-for-profit. Similar initiatives have been implemented in California, Colorado and Illinois.

Ex-chef says it’s a ‘good thing’

On TikTok, former McDonald’s chef Mike Haracz said McDonald’s charging for bags is a “good thing” and reduces waste by not giving people bags and napkins when they don’t need them.

“They are not doing this necessarily to make a whole bunch of profit or save money, I think this is more for sustainability and environmental impact,” he said.

The World Wide Fund for Nature explains that plastic pollution is the “most visible example of the havoc we’re causing to our planet” – primarily caused by single-use plastics like carrier bags, cups and straws.

One in two marine turtles have eaten plastic, 90% of seabirds have plastic in their stomachs, and it is estimated that 14 million tonnes of plastic are dumped in our oceans every year, so it’s incredibly important to cut down on this waste.

While paper bags, cups and straws and recyclable, producing them in such huge quantities still requires a lot of water, fuel and cut-down trees, and much of it ends up in landfill, so we must strive to cut down on all single-use waste.

It’s only 10 cents!