Over 9000 New Zealanders have their say on binning plastic bags

Tuesday, 18 September 2018

Want to help the planet? Here's an easy way to minimise your plastic use.

The Ministry for the Environment is counting up submissions for New Zealand's plastic bag ban, and there's likely more than 9000.

Submissions closed on Friday, and the responses doubled in the final 10 days.

Associate Environment minister Eugenie Sage said the number was a 'strong response' for a Government consultation.

'The high number of submissions we received underlines that this is an issue close to the hearts of many New Zealanders.'

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Associate minister for the environment Eugenie Sage said the high number of submissions meant it was an issue close to New Zealanders' hearts.

Regulations could be in force as early as July 2019.

Officials would work through the submissions to prepare a summary of submissions and a cost-benefit analysis. They would then provide the initial advice to the Cabinet.

From there, regulations would be drafted and final Cabinet decisions made – most likely by the end of the year.

Sage said they would consider the submissions alongside those from the industry and other stakeholders, which would be summarised and presented to ministers.

'Through this consultation we particularly asked New Zealanders for their views on which type of bags should be included (by weight), any exceptions that should be considered, views on implementation timeframes and what support New Zealanders will need to help ease the transition.'

The Wellington City Council has thrown its support behind the proposal, asking that the Government go a step further by banning any kind of oxo-degradable, bio-degradable or compostable bag.

The council's submission says it wanted to reduce overall plastic consumption.

It asks that information about the phase-out is distributed in several languages, and a close eye is kept on the food markets which operate close to marine areas.

Plastic Bag Free Wanaka/Wastebusters submission supported the proposal.

They wanted the phase out of compostable bags, and a complete ban on all oxo-degradable bags .

There's no system in place to collect compostable bags, and oxo-degradable bags couldn't be recycled or composted, their submission says.

Both the Wellington City Council and Wastebusters submitted that no smaller retailers should be exempt from the ban.