Aldi here the shopping carts are locked like similar to the SmartCarte at the airport - you need to deposit a quarter into the slot in order to unlock it. Of course you get that quarter back when you return the cart to the storage and bump it hard to lock it to the device, then it spit out the quarter in it... I dont know this is a smart way or dump way because we never need to use a shopping cart for the items we normally buy at Aldi. We use other stores plastic bags, 2 or 3 are enough for our Aldi shopping trip, After reuse those bags a few time, they go to the recycle bin set up by a local dominant grocery chain. Seems a much more efficient way to me, even comparing to the reusable bags (which require cleaning).

Bottom line is, the 3% surcharge in Canada may not become a prevalent reality given 1) Quebec prohibits it, 2) Merchants need to file a plan before doing so, 3) Only 20% of the merchant intend to do so...

Whether the North America is stupid or smart, here whether in Canada or in US, consumers have multiple ways to pay - from cash to contactless device, and not be forced to not using cash, or to scan a QR code! That to me, is the advantage over the so-called cashless society like in Denmark, where you have very little or no benefit by going cashless, yet still being so vigorously defend an inferior system - from the standpoint of the consumer. You dont reap the benefit of the "promised" benefit because the merchants hardly pass any to you.