Countdown to ban all single use plastic bags by 2018

Wednesday, 4 October 2017

Most customers supported the ban on plastic bags, Countdown said.

Countdown will phase out single use plastic bags from its stores and online shopping by the end of 2018.

The move will prevent 350 million plastic bags from entering the environment, Countdown's managing director Dave Chambers said.

It will apply to 184 Countdown stores around the country.

SuperValue and FreshChoice supermarkets will also phase out plastic bags, but a date for them has not been set.

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Wellington Mayor Justin Lester welcomed the move, but would still like to see a government-imposed levy on plastic bags.

From Monday, the price of Countdown's reusable bags will be reduced from $1.39 to $1.

Managing director Dave Chambers said Countdown research showed 83 per cent of customers supported phasing out single-use plastic bags.

Countdown's Australian owner, Woolworths, announced in July that it would ban single-use plastic bags, while – from next year – charging shoppers 15 cents each for heavier, reusable plastic bags.

Countdown spokesman James Walker said a 'Woolworths style reusable bag' was an option for it also.

Compostable and paper bags are being trialled in some SuperValue and Fresh Choice stores.

However, according to a report by the Scottish government, the process of making paper bags uses four times as much water, and releases more than three times as many greenhouse gas emissions, as manufacturing conventional plastic bags.

Walker said Super Value and Fresh Choice were independently experimenting with paper bags because customers liked the idea.

But he said the company would be looking at consequences from bag bans overseas before a final decision was made on alternatives.

'For Countdown, paper is not on table. We think there are better options,' he said.

Wellington mayor Justin Lester welcomed the move by Countdown, but said he would still like to see a mandatory levy on plastic bags for all businesses.

'This is wonderful news. It is my strong personal belief that Government should legislate but this is a situation where the industry is taking care of itself,' he said.

A government levy was supported by more than 90 per cent of New Zealand's mayors.

Last month, Foodstuffs launched an online campaign to find out what action customers wanted on plastic bags.

Customers could choose to pay five cents per bag, 10 cents per bag, or continue paying nothing.

Voting on the options will be open until midnight on October 8 at www.bagvote.co.nz.

Foodstuffs has been approached for comment.