[mikorym]

In South Africa, you pay for the plastic bag, unless it's not a perishable product.

[baud147258]

In France you can't even pay for a plastic bag anymore. But you can buy one-use paper bags or reusable plastic bags.

[kalleboo]

In Japan major supermarket chains now give you a discount if you choose to refuse a bag, but it's on the order of 2 yen, and it's an "opt-out" thing rather than an opt-in thing.

[majewsky]

> unless it's not

I think there's one negation too many in there. You're saying that you pay for the plastic bag if it is a perishable product, which sounds backwards.

[mikorym]

In SA, you pay for any plastic bag that is bought at a supermarket or similar store. If it contains a product which is not perishable (like clothes), then you usually get a different type of paper or plastic bag with it without charge.

I think I said this in a funny way, because this slightly differs from store to store—I am not sure whether the regulations are applied uniformly. (Takeaways, for instance.) But yes, if it is perishable, then usually you pay for the bag.