Plastic Bags
MEDIA RELEASE
11 January 2008
Plastic Bags
Recent publicity over international moves to ban or tax supermarket shopping bags do not necessitate similar measures being adopted in New Zealand says John Albertson CEO of the NZ Retailers Association.
It is prudent to remind New Zealanders that the Association, in conjunction with three leading industry members, commissioned independent market research amongst consumers in May 2007 which showed that 64% of those surveyed supported initiatives for voluntary reduction of plastic bag use, whilst 20% of those surveyed supported a total ban on bags and 7% supported a tax on plastic bags.
This research provided the basis for the Make A Difference Campaign that was announced by the Association on 26 June 2007. This campaign which was rolled out in 646 supermarkets throughout the country was designed to encourage consumers to think twice about the number of plastic shopping bags they obtained at supermarket checkouts and choose whether they wished to use a plastic shopping bag or an eco-friendly bag.
The campaign has worked well in raising consumer awareness and anecdotal evidence shows that many New Zealanders are now using the eco friendly bags. However, industry intends to review the first six months of the campaign in late January and appropriate announcements will likely be released in February on the success of the campaign.
Plastic bags only represent a minute percentage of the waste stream and there are far more important environmental issues that need to be addressed within New Zealand. There is also need for recognition that New Zealanders need to be more socially responsible in their use of plastic bags.
There needs to be a balance achieved in the ongoing debate on plastic bags. Households reuse many of the bags they receive at the checkout for rubbish bin liners. If this source of supply was eliminated there is a risk of alternative bags being purchased for this purpose. The target should be to reduce or remove those bags that aren’t reused, concluded Mr Albertson.
--
Further Information
John Albertson 027 4459400
Barry Hellberg 021 673480
|
