Consumer Plastic Bag Usage and Alternatives Survey

Hi! We're studying how people use plastic bags when shopping and what would get them to switch to something else. Your responses are completely confidential and anonymized. This should take about 4-5 minutes, and there are no right or wrong answers.

In the last 30 days, how often did you use a single-use plastic bag when shopping?

• Never
• Rarely (1-2 times)
• Sometimes (3-5 times)
• Often (6-10 times)
• Every shopping trip

Which of the following do you typically bring with you to avoid needing a single-use plastic bag?

• Reusable cloth or canvas bag
• Reusable insulated bag
• Personal backpack or tote already on hand
• Cardboard box from the store
• I don't bring anything

How concerned are you about the environmental impact of single-use plastic bags?

How convenient is each of the following for your typical shopping trip?

Rank these bag types from what you'd most prefer to use to what you'd least prefer to use over the next month.

1. Single-use plastic bags
2. Paper bags
3. Reusable cloth bags
4. Biodegradable/compostable bags

What's the main reason you reach for a single-use plastic bag instead of an alternative?

• It's more convenient
• It's cheaper or free
• It's just habit
• I don't know of good alternatives
• The store doesn't offer alternatives
• I don't use single-use plastic bags

How willing would you be to pay a small fee (for example, $0.10) for each single-use plastic bag at checkout?

Dig into the real reason behind the respondent's stated main reason for choosing (or avoiding) single-use plastic bags. If they cited convenience or habit, ask what a specific recent shopping trip looked like and what would have had to change for them to grab a reusable bag instead. If they scored fee willingness low, probe whether the objection is about cost, fairness, or trust that the fee changes behavior at all, and ask what alternative (discount for reusable bags, better in-store availability, etc.) would actually shift them.

Which age range do you fall into?

• Under 18
• 18-24
• 25-34
• 35-44
• 45-54
• 55-64
• 65 or older
• Prefer not to say

What is your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Prefer to self-describe
• Prefer not to say

What is your household's approximate annual income?

• Under $25,000
• $25,000-$49,999
• $50,000-$74,999
• $75,000-$99,999
• $100,000 or more
• Prefer not to say

Thanks so much for sharing your shopping habits! Your answers will feed into a report on plastic bag use and which alternatives are most likely to actually catch on.