Plastic baskets 'flying out the door' at Countdown

Wednesday, 8 January 2020

A ban on single-use plastic bags proved the popularity of shopping baskets. Now Countdown is selling them.

Countdown is struggling to keep up with demand for its reusable shopping baskets, with some stores selling out.

Spokeswoman Kiri Hannifin said shoppers in Northland had cleared the shelves at one store and supplies were running low at a second.

'Whangarei is a stand-out, with our Regent store selling out yesterday and Dargaville not far off,' she said on Wednesday.

Hannifin said holiday hot-spot Whitianga, in the Coromandel, had sold the most baskets to date. However, exact sales figures wouldn't be given for commercial reasons.

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The $10 plastic baskets are selling out in some stores.

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'We're re-stocking stores and are really pleased that our customers are so committed to helping the planet,' Hannifin said.

The Sistema baskets went on sale at Countdown stores last week and there had been 'massive' customer interest across the country in the past two days.

Plastic-free campaigner Trisia Farrelly says bags and baskets made from materials like flax would be better for both people and the environment.

'We know Kiwis love products they can use again and again and also recycle, so we aren't that surprised they are flying out the door.'

The $10 baskets are moulded from regrind plastic – made out of scrap resin collected during other manufacturing processes – and can be recycled.

The baskets generated plenty of discussion on Tuesday, with many social media commenters applauding the move.

Countdown spokeswoman Kiri Hannifin says there has been massive customer interest in the baskets.

Others criticised the introduction of another plastic product and suggested Countdown should have opted for a natural alternative.

Plastic-free campaigner and Massey University environmental anthropologist Trisia Farrelly said plastic baskets were likely to be less of a threat to fauna than bags, which could entangle and be eaten by animals.

However, it was important to avoid synthetic plastics wherever possible, as the products contained toxins that could be hazardous to the health of both animals and people.

Ideally, shoppers would switch to baskets and bags made from organic material, Farrelly said.

'Something like harakeke (flax) that's low in water usage, low in energy usage, and grown locally and sustainably, that would be great.

'But I don't think we're set up in New Zealand yet to be able to produce enough of those sorts of things to make it workable.'

Hannifin said Countdown was continuing to work on removing as much unnecessary plastic and packaging as possible from its stores.

Almost 150 tonnes of plastic and packaging had been removed from its produce departments over the past two years, although single-use fruit and vegetable bags remained an issue for many shoppers.

'We hear from our customers regularly about the changes that they'd like to see in our stores, particularly when it comes to the barrier bags in our produce area,' she said.

'Finding an alternative to these bags is something we're looking at at the moment.'

The company wanted to ensure any changes were positive for the environment and customers, and for the long term, Hannifin said.

'This work takes time but we have a number of things in the pipeline for 2020.'