Via iStockphoto / @malonsanaii TikTok
A McDonald's customer recorded herself stealing a tray from one of the restaurant's locations after she was hit with a 10-cent bag fee.
A Los Angeles McDonald’s customer says a location “lost they McMind” after attempting to charge her 10 cents for a bag to put her food in. So she decided to take McMatters into her own McHands.
TikToker Malon Sanaii (@malonsanaii) recorded herself walking down the street holding up her food order in one of the restaurant’s trays.
“McDonald’s really playing. Why are they talking about 10 cents for a bag? OK, so no, you’re gonna have to pay for a new tray,” she says before her video comes to a close.
Folks who replied to her video had differing responses, with several commending her retaliation against the chain. “This is the appropriate behavior I don’t care what anyone tells you,” one said. Another said that the portion sizes on Sanaii’s tray justified her walking out of the store with it. “Charging for a bag and not filling the fries all the way up! Yeah, they can pay for a new tray or two!” they remarked.
But there were others who expressed how stunned they were to learn Mickey D’s was charging for paper bags. “When did they start charging for bags?!” one said.
Is McDonald’s Really Charging For Bags Now?
Yes and no. It depends on where the restaurant is located, and McDonald’s isn’t the one issuing the charge. That depends on local ordinances in some areas that have devised ways to cut down on single-use materials. To do so, companies within specific jurisdictions must add a 10 cent (or other value) per bag issued. This is to help cut back on waste and encourage shoppers to walk around with reusable totes.
In Los Angeles, for instance, this bag fee even applies to paper bags. Sanaii indicates online that she shops in the City of Angels and is a native Californian. So it would make sense that she’s getting slapped with this bag charge. NBC 4 Los Angeles wrote in July of 2024 that new laws could see fast-food establishments slap customers with bag fees.
Parts Of America Where McDonald’s Customers Must Pay For Bags
In October of 2023, CBS News reported that Pittsburgh residents were dismayed to see bag charges on their receipts. Featured in the story was a Mickey D’s patron who, like Sanaii, wasn’t happy to be forced to fork over a dime for a paper bag. “McDonald’s never used single plastic bags for orders for the drive-thrus. They use paper bags. So I think they’re taking advantage of the customers under the city’s new plastic bag ban just for profit,” she told the outlet.
However, when a CBS reporter followed up with Pittsburgh’s environmental compliance officer, they were told the charge included paper bags. “In addition to banning plastic bags, it also mandates that businesses charge a minimum of 10 cents per paper bag they provide,” the rep said.
At least 12 states in the U.S. have banned plastic bags entirely. And many of them also charge customers money for paper variants as well. In addition to California, Colorado shoppers will have to fork over 10 cents (usually) for a paper container. Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington also carry paper bag fees. Individual cities also have their own ordinances as well. Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Boulder, and Denver spearheaded these initiatives. And in some instances, well before state legislation came into effect.
Is It Illegal To Take McDonald’s Trays?
If you’re planning on strolling past the Golden Arches with one of the trays, you may want to think twice about doing so. That’s because the trays are McDonald’s property. They even have the company’s logo emblazoned on them. How severe of a charge it is depends on the area where the theft takes place. Generally speaking, pilfering a single tray would likely fall under petit theft or petty larceny. In the state of New York, for instance, petty theft is categorized as stealing an item that is worth less than $1,000.
In California, the threshold for petty theft is similar at $950.
So unless Sanaii walked out of the store with a whole pallet full of trays, then it’s unlikely she’ll be in any serious legal trouble.
It’s also worth noting that theft is classified as such if the perpetrator demonstrates that they fully intend on keeping another person or entity’s property for themselves, i.e., not giving it back. If someone is fully prosecuted for petty theft in California, they could receive up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine.
And if you’d like one of the franchise’s trays but don’t want trouble with the law, you can always buy one. One eBay seller is letting them go for $23.49 a pop.