2023-06-28 05:43:56
Jun 28, 2023 at 06:47Update: 10 minutes ago
The receipt in the supermarket is getting a bit longer once more. From Saturday, the new plastic surcharge will also be on it. But whether that helps to reduce the amount of plastic waste remains to be seen.
It is not yet known whether supermarkets will pass on the new surcharge in their prices. And if so, by how much. In addition, it is also questionable whether we as consumers are aware of this.
“People don’t really pay attention to that. If a few cents are added, we won’t notice it quickly, because prices have been rising for a long time,” says consumer psychologist Patrick Wessels.
As of 1 July, catering establishments, kiosks, supermarkets and specialist shops are no longer allowed to sell food and drinks in single-use plastic packaging without charging a surcharge. This concerns food and drinks that you can consume immediately, with a high risk of the plastic ending up on the street.
In an average supermarket, hundreds of products in a range of fifteen to twenty thousand products are affected by the plastic surcharge. It remains to be seen how high the surcharges will be; the supermarkets are tight-lipped. They can determine the amount of the allowances themselves and keep the money.
The government guideline is 5 cents for containers with a single portion of vegetables, fruit, yogurt, toppings or sauce. For a meal that is 50 cents and for a cup 25 cents. Offering a reusable alternative is an option to avoid paying a surcharge. But that won’t happen anytime soon in supermarkets.
Not motivated to look at endless receipts
According to consumer psychologist Wessels, a surcharge only contributes to awareness if it is clearly stated on the shelf card. The price with the product is the place to communicate something with the consumer. “The moment you make a decision is when you stand in front of the shelf to buy something.”
The question is whether the receipt also contributes to consumer awareness. “Whether you look at the receipt depends on three things. Are you motivated to do it? Do you have the capacity? And do you have the opportunity?” According to the psychologist, most people already lack motivation. “They think: it must be.”
The capacity (aka power) becomes more difficult as the receipt gets even longer. “It’s already small print. The longer the receipt gets, the harder it is to read.” And the opportunity is often lacking too. “You are in the supermarket with six people in line behind you. You don’t want to sift through a receipt, you want to leave.”
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