plastic free shopping @ SaFeway

All excited but also a bit anxious I took both kids grocery shopping (usually not a great idea) with the challenge to avoid any plastic packaging. We brought a couple plastic containers and mesh produce bags.

We found rolls in the bulk section and baguette wrapped in paper (without the plastic strip).
I asked at the meat counter if I could get 3 chicken breast put in my container. Done. This felt great. We are on a roll.
We got apples, bananas and grapes (took some out of an open bag to put in my reusable fabric bag). We got salad and cucumbers.
We got a bottle of milk.
I patiently waited at the deli counter to buy some deli meats and cheese and asked if it would be possible to get some turkey breast plastic free, so on butcher paper, so I can put it in my container. Apparently, he did not like a word I said and got immediately defensive. No to paper. No to container. He would lose his job, if he would do any of the things I just asked. He would need to put any deli in a plastic bag or he would lose his job. I could not really believe what he just said, but I didn't want to argue and his response to my question was so aggravated, that it shook all three of us. It felt a bit like we would demand him to do something very illegal.

We used self check out, scanned all the food and the chicken (which seemed to be a big risk the other guy took by filling it with chicken, as I now realized) and I felt very defeated and unsure I wanted to shop plastic free in the future if I would get these kinds of reactions each time I would ask politely.

I also felt very sad that there won't be any changes anytime soon if he really would lose his job by handing me deli meat wrapped in paper instead of plastic. How hard will this be to get changed? Who else caring way less than us would go through the hassle of shopping this way, if I already feel so defeated?