SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - With a 25 cent charge on grocery bags in place for over two months now, it's garnered a mixed reaction from customers, according to Yellowknife grocery store managers.

Over two months in, 25 cent charge on grocery bags being met with acceptance, approval and occasionally, rage. - Adrian Lysenko/NNSL photo

"Some of them positive, some of them very negative," said Margaret Pawluk, general manager of Nico's Market.

Pawluk said she recently had a customer at the store who was visiting Yellowknife for a few days. "She refused to pay the 25 cents," Pawluk said. "She said it was ludicrous and a bunch of other things."

The woman filled up her big purse with her purchases. Store employees helped her carry the leftover groceries to her car by hand.

Such reactions aren't that common, though, she said. Pawluk estimated 50 per cent of people bring their own reusable bags and others just reuse plastic bags "until they fall apart." While many people see the environmental benefit, others don't. "They see it as a tax, it's just something else they have to pay extra for," said Pawluk.

It's been a more positive reaction at Extra Foods, according to Casey Hellard, manager of the bigger location on Old Airport Road.

"Most people see the point of it," he said. "We all see the bags lying around in parking lots, everyone knows there's a reason for [the levy.]"

Sales of the store's reusable bags are up, Hellard said, and people have been making good use of the empty stock boxes the grocery store now puts in bins outside.

"People are being creative" in how they get their groceries home, he said, adding he hasn't heard any complaints.

"It's a good thing," Hellard said of the tax. He said he's proud Yellowknife is one of the first in Canada to take such a serious move to decreasing the plastic bags floating around the environment.

The only downside is so far the tax only affects the four grocery stores in town. "I wish it was an overall kind of charge," Hellard said. "I mean, there's not many grocery stores." Businesses such as Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire are so far not included though Ken Hall, manager of environmental protection for the GNWT, recently told the Yellowknifer that those stores will be at a later date.

The bag tax came into effect on Jan. 15, 2010, as part of the GNWT's Waste Reduction and Recovery Program Expansion. Shoppers must pay 25 cents for every paper or plastic bag. The grocery stores – two Extra Foods, Co-op, and Nico's Market – must pay a 25 cent levy on every bag purchased from their distributor. The distributors collect the levy money and send it to the GNWT to be put in a special environment fund, where it will be put to use in various waste reduction and recovery programs.