Kiwis want bags gone, including thicker bags

Tuesday, 20 November 2018

The findings for the plastic bag ban are in, and Kiwis want them gone by next winter. 

Seventy per cent of submitters to the Ministry for the Environment's consultation on plans to ban single use plastic bags  said they wanted bags gone in less than six months.  

That includes bags from small retailers and bags which are thicker than usual plastic bags. 

The Ministry released a summary of the almost 10,000 submissions on Tuesday. 

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The majority of submissions agreed with the mandatory phase out proposal - 92 per cent. 

Bags Not co-founder Nick Morrison said that was higher than the 60 to 70 per cent he had predicted to back the ban. 

 It showed people were switched on to the issue.  

'It's an issue that's really galvanised New Zealanders and brought a lot of attention to our waste problems, and our plastic pollution as a whole. 

'We've always said plastic bags are the poster child of the problem.'  

A Ministry spokesman said to have almost 10,000 responses was 'a serious number of people'. 

But it was topped by the zero carbon bill consultation, which received about 15,000 submissions, he said. 

 It proved the public interest.

'What's uniquely interesting about it is it's a signal issue. It signals that people are interested generically in the issue of waste.

'If people are interested in plastic bags, they're probably interested in straws and keep cups as well.' 

A number of submitters supported the proposal as part of a first step towards wider action on plastic packaging. 

However, 13 individuals and three business submitters said the proposal was 'short-sighted' and  more environmentally-damaging products should be addressed. 

'One submitter highlights studies that show around 90 per cent of the plastic waste that ends up in the sea each year comes from just 10 rivers globally (eight in Asia and two in Africa), with most of the remainder coming from hundreds of minor Asian and African rivers, as well as lost fishing gear,' the submissions summary says.  

'Another comments that Tokyo uses more bags in a day than we use in a year, so in their opinion 'there is really not much point'.' 

Others said the bags were reusable for pet waste, and useful for wet clothing and meat products. 

Seventy eight per cent, said all shopping bags should be banned, rather than just bags below a specified micron count, which would include Countdown's 15 cent 'reusable' bag. 

Countdown General Manager Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Kiri Hannifin said  the 'reusable emergency bag', which is heavy 55 micron plastic, was designed to be used 20 times. 

'Over the coming months, we'll look at how many people use this bag and why, and review whether it's still needed once people have had time to get used to bringing their reusable bags when they shop with us.'

Consultation took place from  August 10 to September 14. 

By the numbers 

The majority of submissions (8626 submitters or 92 per cent) agreed with the mandatory phase-out proposal.

Five hundred and four submitters disagree – 5 per cent of submissions. 

The majority, at 78 per cent, said all single-use plastic shopping bags should be banned, rather than just plastic bags below a specified micron count.  

Additionally, 95 per cent do not think that smaller retailers should be exempt from the phase out.