Tuesday I went to the campus bookstore to buy the last of my books for this fall semester. Upon checking out at the register the clerk began to prepare a bag for my books. I promptly told him that I did not need a bag. Personally, I have vast reasoning that this is my regular practice, not taking bags when I purchase things at a store. Mainly, because it produces unnecessary waste and the manufacturing of bags requires the use of natural recourses in one way or another. Besides, I have two functioning hands and two functioning feet and therefore carrying a few books to my backpack, which is in lockdown no more than 20 yards from the book store registers, posses no problem whatsoever for me. Anyway, I was told by the clerk that it was policy for me to take a bag. I voiced my disapproval by stating that it was unnecessary waste. And he responded by telling me that if I didn’t need the bag that I could throw it away after I had left the book store. Well, I don’t really know how to respond to that since I said “unnecessary waste.”

Now, my family has owned a business since 1964 and therefore I realize the necessity to instate and follow policies within a business, just as much as anyone. But, why should I have to take a bag if my receipt is physical evidence that I have just paid for my overpriced books? In any case, by the time I took the train back to Somerville I had calmed down, recalling that most grocers have recycle bins by their doors where the morally convicted can recycle polythene bags. Still, recycling will consume energy as well, and my point in not taking the bag was to avoid the unnecessary use of resources. If this is in fact the UMass Boston campus book store’s policy, it needs to be addressed, simply for the reason that I should be able to refuse a bag based on my morals and walk out of the book store with only my receipt as well as my books grasped by my two functioning hands.

Kory Vergets