useful Japanese expressions 4: Kekko desu (No thank you)

Hi everyone!

I sometimes think Japan is not a very eco-friendly country. When you buy a sweater at a department store, for example, they nicely wrap it with thin delicate paper, then put in a white plastic bag, and finally put it in a paper bag with the logo of the store printed.

That would be OK if it's a gift for someone. But if you buy it for yourself, you will probably throw away all those wrapping materials once you arrive home. What a waste!

At many supermarkets as well, they automatically give you plastic bags, so if you have your own shopping bags or you simply don't need them, please say:  けっこうです。　Kekko desu. = No thank you.

To specify what you don't need you can say as follows:
袋は　けっこうです。　Fukuro wa kekko desu = I don't need a bag, thank you.
はしは　けっこうです。　Hashi wa kekko desu = I don't need chopsticks. 
スプーンは　けっこうです。　Supu-n wa kekko desu. = I don't need spoons.  

At some supermarkets started to charge customers 2-10 yen for a single-use plastic bag. At those places they may ask you: 袋はお持ちですか。　Fukuro wa omochi desuka. = Do you have your own bag? 

If you want one, please say: いいえ、一枚お願いします。　Iie, ichimai onegai shimasu.  = No, can I have one?  


By the way, the single-use plastic grocery bags are commonly called レジ袋（reｊi bukuro), because you can get those bags at the register. (＝reji)