Almost half Countdown shoppers forgetting reusable bags at 'plastic bag free' stores

Thursday, 21 June 2018

Supermarket shoppers are slowly catching onto the trend of bringing their own grocery bags, a Countdown spokeswoman says.

Since mid-May, 10 Countdown stores stopped using single-use plastic bags, meaning customers had to remember to bring their own, or pay for a thick 'emergency' plastic bag or reusable cloth bag.

What are your tips for remembering your reusable bag? Email businessday@stuff.co.nz

Countdown spokeswoman Kiri Hannifin​ said about 60 per cent of all customers who visited the 10 stores were remembering to bring their own bags.

She would not say how many emergency plastic bags had been sold, but said they were a 'last resort' for shoppers.

**READ MORE:

* Customer satisfaction and profits drive supermarket plastic bag ban, experts say

* Countdown chooses 10 supermarkets to go plastic bag free, rest to follow**

The emergency plastic bags were thicker than a single-use plastic bag and could be used up to 20 times, Hannifin said.

Ecoware Food Packaging founder James Calver said reusable bag options should not include more plastic bags.

'I can see Countdown are trying hard to do better, and it's fantastic that they are making a stance against single use plastic bags, but using more plastic in a different format isn't the answer.

'Once plastic, in any form, is created, we have it forever.'

​Calver​ visited one of the chain's 10 plastic-free supermarkets on Saturday, and forgot to take a reusable bag. He was offered an emergency plastic bag, which was being marketed as reusable, he said.

'While the new Countdown bags are thicker than single-use plastic bags, they are still plastic.' 

​Countdown had the opportunity to use its size and power 'to do something really inspiring with their sustainability', Calver said.

​Hannifin said the company would review the bag options next year, and make a call on whether the emergency bags were still needed.

From August, the emergency plastic bags would be made from up to 80 per cent recycled plastic, she said.

'Wherever possible we want to contribute to the circular economy rather than introduce new plastic.'

The supermarket's first preference was for shoppers to bring their own bags, rather than buy one, Hannifin said.

Both the 'emergency' plastic bag, and a black Countdown-branded reusable bag, could be recycled in the soft plastics recycling bins at Countdown supermarkets, she said.

How to remember your reusable bag:

- Forget about the bag, and put a laundry basket in the boot, load your groceries from the trolley to the basket

- Start your shopping list with 'bags' so you remember to get them out of the car before you start shopping

- Leave them in your car, and put a sticky note near the dashboard to remind you

- If you have an iPhone you can set a reminder, which sends you an alert once you arrive at a set location