At least in Ithaca, I was spoiled by cashiers who would ask “do you need a bag for that” or not give me one unless I asked. But now and then when I was forced to visit a big-box store, they’d sneak my single item into a bag while I wasn’t looking, or while I looked on too bewildered to say anything! And once the bag is off the rack, I am loathe to say “oh I don’t need a bag,” as I fear that they will just throw that one out, whereas I will at least reuse and eventually recycle it.

Wegman’s baffles me–they have signs up all over now that say “DID YOU REMEMBER YOUR REUSABLE BAG?” But the standard cashier prompt is still “Is plastic okay?”

On one occasion, when I was buying a box of donuts and a carton of strawberries for my bar review class, I told the cashier “I don’t need a bag” as she scanned the donuts. She said “oh, okay,” then put the strawberries in a bag. *headdesk* I have learned that if I add extra, informationless words for emphasis (like “I don’t need a bag at all” or “I don’t need any bags”), cashiers are more likely to comply.

The self-check out machines I’m familiar with at least do have the plastic bag set up- which is bothersome from my perspective, but has the area to set down the groceries- the system, though large and spacious that I’m familiar with, is based on weight. The bags are superfluous, really. Your inconvenience probably arises in the period between taking your items out of your canvas bag and putting them back in it.
I’m not familiar with your particular interface in question, but you can try just ignoring the plastic bags and using the space alloted for weighing the products with or without your bag in hand, this should be convenient enough, but the sacrifice we make in using the preferred brought in bag is the presumed convenience in the inherent system- which I don’t mind giving up.

Good call at any rate, and I like your new rule.

Honestly, not having to buy truckloads of plastic shopping bags should save a grocery store in the long run, so reminders aren’t a bad idea.

Publix- as well as the local health food store here, Manna- sells bags now, but haven’t done away with plastic all together. Though I do hear that San Francisco has moved in that direction.