New Zealand expanded its plastic ban on July 1st, becoming the first country in the world to ban single-use fruit and vegetable bags. While bringing your own shopping bags is a global trend, most supermarkets and businesses still provide free thin plastic bags near fruit and vegetable shelves to reduce collisions and facilitate billing. New Zealand supermarkets welcome the ban but acknowledge that there are \"irritable customers.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Phased expansion of the plastic ban
New Zealand banned shopping bags in 2019, saving over 1 billion plastic bags to date. The ban was expanded in July to include thin, disposable plastic bags, plastic straws, and single-use plastic cutlery.
The New Zealand Department of the Environment states that each New Zealander produces an average of 60 kilograms of plastic waste annually. The new ban is expected to reduce the use of 150 million plastic fruit and vegetable bags annually, equivalent to 17,000 plastic bags per hour.
The next round of plastic bans will take effect in mid-2025, expanding to food and beverage packaging made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene (PS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Supermarkets offer tips to reduce collisions
The ban has been announced for some time, and supermarkets have been promoting alternatives to customers. The BBC reported that Countdown, a large New Zealand supermarket chain, is selling reusable mesh bags as an alternative. Catherine Langabeer, Countdown's head of sustainability, said that change takes time. He hinted that \"there are some grumpy customers.\"
Foodstuffs, which owns PAK'nSAVE, New World, and Four Square supermarkets, welcomes the government's policy. In addition to selling reusable bags for fruit and vegetables, it will also provide paper bags during the transition period.
Foodstuffs tells customers that bringing their own fruit and vegetable bags will not affect the price. They can put the fruit and vegetables in boxes, cartons, shopping carts, or bags first and then remove them for weighing at checkout.
Foodstuffs sustainable packaging manager Debra Goulding offers several collision-avoidance tips, such as placing a small basket or cardboard box in the trolley specifically for fruits and vegetables to separate them from groceries; or using sturdy boxes, such as cereal boxes, to separate fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Source: Environmental Information Center (https:\/\/e-info.org.tw\/node\/237127)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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