Single use plastic bags to be banned.

Forums › Off topic › Single use plastic bags to be banned.

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#2137541 30-Nov-2018 21:44

davidcole:
dafman:

mattwnz:

IMO it is a big political thing to change peoples direction when it comes to waste. The fact is that in the background, there is still so much plastic and waste when it comes to supermarkets, and there doesn't seem to be any moves to reduce it. I saw in my local super market tonight 4 capsicums which were on a black plastic plate thing, and wrapped in clear plastic. That would probably weigh multiple bags. IMO no fruit or veges need any additional packaging around them, as they have natural packaging. I don't know if hte law change will prevent that sort of thing.

Also what is to stop people just buying plastic bags (eg small rubbish bags) off the shelf, and when they get to the checkout they just use those to carry they food home in? Also Banning true recyclable bags such as cornstarch, as an alternative to plastic ones, which can break down in the soil IMO is just stupid.

Some supermarkets in NZ are going to trial plastic-free fruit and vege, so the tide is turning.

And, yes, someone would have to be extremely stupid to buy small plastic bags off the shelf to put their grocery into as it would be cheaper and easier just to buy a reusable bag at the checkout.

No, they're more likely to just ask for more and more bags in the lead up to the supermarket removing them to stockpile.

Yup, we now have nearly 50 ‘stashed’ as every time we get milk or bread we now take a bag we wouldn’t previously have had.
The ‘justification’ is that these are already made, in NZ, and unlikely to be sold or returned to another country now anyway 🤔

blakamin

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#2137577 30-Nov-2018 22:35

As someone that lives somewhere that's had single-use plastic bags banned for years, and a recycle deposit on cans and bottles (including plastic) for so long, and worked so well people crossed borders to do it, there's sooo much FUD with this..

People don't start hoarding single use, or dumping more... people get used to it.

People keep thicker plastic bags (ours are $0.15 each if you don't take your own) and take them shopping (put them in your car) or buy a slightly more expensive long-term reusable bag. Richer people might not show up shopping with proper reusable bags, but they generally don't GAF anyway, but they most likely recycle.

Our rivers are cleanish (probably because they're nearly empty).. I haven't seen crap on the side of the roads for ages. I was actually surprised the other day to see a maccas cup. So much so that I remembered it.

mattwnz

20147 posts

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#2137586 30-Nov-2018 23:28

davidcole:

dafman:

For those interested, here are a couple of really interesting podcasts on the plastic crisis.

Dianna Cohen of the Plastics Pollution Coalition reveals how our dependence on the material threatens the health of future generations - link here

The Guardian: The plastic backlash: what's behind our sudden rage – and will it make a difference? - link here

A couple of interesting facts from the podcasts:

Coke, Pespi and Nestle are the worst manufacturers for global plastic waste.
It is estimated that less than 4% of single-use plastic in the USA will end up being recycled since China stopped buying plastic waste to recycle. And single-use plastic production is increasing year on year.

Bring back glass bottles for drinks.....or use fountains and fill your own.

Bulk bins/vegatables in supermarkets need to allow for higher weight, bring your own containers. Ie they need the Tare function so you glass jar you put your peanuts in doesn't add to the cost

Glass is also probably safer in terms on not leaching chemicals into the food. Some of the plastic used for food is supposedly food grade, but you don't know that all is especially imported stuff.

I thought it was ironic to see a milk company selling bottles of milk that looked like traditional old style milk bottles, but they were using plastic bottles! If someone is doing this, they should at least use glass.

Peamsable

98 posts

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#2137988 2-Dec-2018 07:25

dafman:
Recycling is a bit of a myth. It doesn't get rid of the plastic, it just converts it into a lower grade of plastic that can be reused.

So bans are useful as they reduce the level of plastic being used/produced in the first place.

Here’s a graphic of where all virgin plastic produced has ended up.

It’s from this Economist article. The amount of plastic recycled is very small and plastic can only be recycled once or twice before being “downcycled” into something that is discarded or incinerated.

sbiddle

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#2137990 2-Dec-2018 07:43

Geektastic: All I can say is, having recently been to Japan, New Zealand was already using far less plastic and packaging than the Japanese do.

Each individual fruit is wrapped in protective foam lattice there!

We use significantly less than many countries. It's pretty much impossible to buy any produce items in the UK that aren't plastic wrapped.

People do however need to understand the reasons for some items being packaged the way they are - with telegraph cucumbers being a classic example.

A week wouldn't go by without seeing somebody complaining on social media about their wrapped telegraph cucumber - but a telegraph cucumber needs wrapping as it's skinless. It suffers from rapid moisture loss and bruising otherwise. If people want to avoid plastic wrap they should buy a short cucumber that has a skin (which of course then needs to be peeled) but doesn't need wrapping.

I've also seen numerous people say that strawberries should come in boxes - yet again without any comprehension of exactly they that can never work.

Lastman

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#2137997 2-Dec-2018 08:08

New World has been trialling a misting system for produce that needs to be kept hydrated.

sbiddle

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#2138008 2-Dec-2018 08:31

Lastman: New World has been trialling a misting system for produce that needs to be kept hydrated.

Similar systems have been in use for close to many years - before refrigerated cabinets became the norm in the '90s many New World stores had misting systems in their cabinets. Now different refrigeration units also have different levels of humidity so misting isn't necessarily required.

I don't understand why Countdown don't have more refrigeration in their stores. It's like a return to the '80s and explains why so much of their produce is so poor.

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marej

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#2138046 2-Dec-2018 10:18

My experience of countdown is no bags, no baskets, high prices, old looking seafood, questionable produce.

Bluntj

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#2138077 2-Dec-2018 11:25

marej:

My experience of countdown is no bags, no baskets, high prices, old looking seafood, questionable produce.

Totally agree. Everything is packed in Auckland and shipped around the country to their various stores. At my Countdown where I only go to but a specific ham, their produce looks very tired.

and I meant to say that they do seem more expensive than New World.

Rikkitic

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#2138079 2-Dec-2018 11:43

This raises an interesting question. Where can you buy the best produce? I find that even the roadside veggie stalls are not always that flash.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Bluntj

556 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2138161 2-Dec-2018 14:50

Rikkitic:

This raises an interesting question. Where can you buy the best produce? I find that even the roadside veggie stalls are not always that flash.

I look for freshness. Sadly I find my Pak n Save a shocker....produce does not last long once I bring it home. I get appalled by all the handling of it by purchasers....thus I stopped going there.

I go to a chinese place now..they are market gardeners and have their own shops as well. A bit cheaper but the quality is there.

MikeB4

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#2138164 2-Dec-2018 14:57

We get a lot of our fresh veges and fruit from our own garden. Our Meat from a small butcher in Greytown. For fish as we don't have a boat now we tend to go for frozen as it is generally better especially Sealord as its frozen ontheir ships.

freitasm

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#2147364 18-Dec-2018 20:49

Plastic shopping bag phase out set for 1 July... Now going for a lot of types of bags:

Associate Minister for the Environment, Eugenie Sage has today confirmed retailers will no longer be able to sell or give away single-use plastic shopping bags from 1 July 2019, after Cabinet agreed to the proposed regulations for a mandatory nationwide phase out of these bags.

“Plastic shopping bags are a hazard for nature, particularly marine wildlife. They can also introduce harmful microplastics into the food chain,” said Eugenie Sage.

“These regulations are an important first step to tackle New Zealand’s wider waste problem. Importantly, the mandatory phase out of single-use plastic shopping bags signals that we need to do things very differently – manufacturers, retailers and consumers all have a responsibility to reduce waste and prevent plastic pollution”.

Public consultation ran from 10 August – 14 September 2018 and showed strong support for the proposed regulations, with 92 per cent of submitters agreeing we should no longer have single-use plastic shopping bags in New Zealand.

The phase out will apply to all new plastic shopping bags with handles that are made of plastic up to 70 microns in thickness. This includes light-weight supermarket bags, heavier boutique-style shopping bags and the ‘emergency’ bags currently offered by some supermarkets as an alternative to a free single-use bag. It will also include bags fitting this description made of degradable plastic (ie. biodegradable, compostable and oxy-degradable) regardless of whether the plastic material is sourced from fossil-fuel, synthetic compounds or from biological sources such as plants.

The phase out marks the start of a significant Government programme to reduce waste and build the foundations for New Zealand’s transition to a ‘circular economy’ approach, where eventually waste will be designed out of the system.

“We have an ambitious programme underway to turn around New Zealand’s poor track record on waste,” said Eugenie Sage.

“This includes expanding the waste disposal levy to all landfills and improving our data on waste and resource recovery, investing more strategically in infrastructure and innovation, and a greater focus on product stewardship for problematic waste streams such as vehicle tyres and e-waste.

“New Zealand has recently become a signatory to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment – a global pledge to address the root causes of plastic pollution – and this work programme will help us deliver on our commitment,” she said.

Information about the mandatory phase out of single-use plastic shopping bags in New Zealand can be found on the Ministry for the Environment’s website at www.mfe.govt.nz/plasticbags

dafman

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#2147549 19-Dec-2018 08:43

freitasm:

Plastic shopping bag phase out set for 1 July... Now going for a lot of types of bags:

Although it looks like the small plastic bags at the fruit and vege section escape the ban? Pity if it is, it's not unusual to see some trolleys leave this section with 10+ bags.

Fred99

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#2147550 19-Dec-2018 08:48

MikeB4:

For fish as we don't have a boat now we tend to go for frozen as it is generally better especially Sealord as its frozen ontheir ships.

You need to find a better fish shop.

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