Your Options When You Need a Bag At Aldi

Last Updated on February 10, 2021

Aldi is a little different than many other grocers, and in a number of ways. Among those differences is the checkout experience, which is fast, in part because the cashiers don’t bag your groceries. That lets them focus on scanning your groceries rather than bagging. The bagging then is left to you, the customer.

Not only does Aldi have you do your own bagging, but it also puts the business of obtaining bags on you. Unlike many stores, there are no freebie bags, at least not in the traditional sense. There are, however, other options, including a few options Aldi sells for a nominal cost.

Let’s go over what you can do.

Option 1: No Bags

This is a common trap for first-time Aldi shoppers and occasional veterans alike, although it can work. If you only have a few items, you might not need a bag. I even know some some people who keep laundry baskets in their cars and wait to sort their groceries until they get outside.

Option 2: Bring Your Own Bags

For the most part, Aldi doesn’t care what you bag your groceries in. If you want to bring your own bags, great. My wife usually does just that, packing a handful of washable fabric bags to stow groceries in after she makes her purchases. There are a number of options out there, both in other stores and online, to make this happen.

Or, a recent trend is to stash a laundry basket or two in your vehicle trunk, and when you exit the store after paying for your groceries, you simply load them directly from your cart into the baskets. When you get home, it’s easy to carry the baskets into the house to unload.

Option 3: In-Store Cardboard Cartons

This is a true cheapskate option, which I’m not above doing, I might add. Aldi stores many of its goods in cardboard containers, and once those containers are empty, store workers often toss them in metal bins. They don’t always dispose of those containers right away, though, so if you happen to be in a store and see a bin with cardboard packaging in it, you’re free to use it at no cost to you. Remember to toss it in your recycling bin after you unload your groceries at home.

Option 4: Aldi Paper Bags

Aldi sells recyclable paper bags in its checkout aisle, often below the conveyor belt. In our stores, they run about 7 cents a bag. That’s cheap enough that, in a pinch, you can break down and buy them, although if you’re shopping at Aldi you might be enough of a penny-pincher that you don’t want to do even that.

Option 5: Aldi Plastic Bags

Aldi also sells plastic bags in its checkout aisle, typically next to the paper bags. In our store, they’re 10 cents a bag. They’re not as environmentally friendly, but they do the job.

Option 6: Aldi Eco-Friendly Reusable Bag

In our Aldi stores, just off the checkout aisle, you can find $1.99 reusable Aldi bags. They’re good for at least 125 uses, according to the packaging, and they boast the Aldi logo. Some stores will even recycle them when you’re done, and on top of that the bags themselves are made from 50% recycled materials. If you want to spend a little more on something you can use over and over, this is an option.

What about you? How do you stow your Aldi goods?