The government of New Zealand has confirmed that single-use bags and thicker boutique bags will be phased out over six months, as soon as Cabinet signs off on the regulations. Bin liners and synthetic fabric reusable bags will still be allowed, as will bags provided for fruit, vegetables and raw meat.
Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage said a ban was what New Zealanders wanted. "There's has been huge public support for this. Ninety-two percent of people who made submissions -and there were nearly 10,000 submissions- supported it."
The ban was an "important step" towards tackling plastic pollution, she said. "Worldwide, it's estimated that up to 5 trillion plastic bags are used each year and if tied together, those bags could be wrapped around the world every hour."
According to Ms Sage, the time-frame complied with World Trade Organisation requirements and allowed retailers time to adjust: "Some submitters wanted a faster phase-out. Some, like Retail New Zealand, wanted longer, 12 months, and this is a compromise."
She said bin liners were not included as they were not the "major waste found in the marine environment. It is the lightweight supermarket shopping bags that have been commonly found getting into the environment. Bin liners end up going to landfill."
According to radionz.co.nz, the exact date for the ban will be known once regulations are considered by Cabinet in December.