Auckland supermarkets bow to plastic bag pressure

Plastic bag use fell by 22 per cent in the five years to July. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

New World and Four Square stores in Auckland have bowed to public pressure and will no longer charge for plastic packing bags.

From today, their parent company Foodstuffs is dropping the five cent charge. It has already scrapped the fee in the lower North Island after customer feedback.

Foodstuffs Auckland GM Murray Jordan says the charge saw the usage of plastic bags drop by 12 million over the last month and the company will continue to promote the use of reusable bags.

Mr Jordan will not comment about the ratio of people who supported the charge compared with those who complained.

However, Green co-leader Metiria Turei is very disappointed by the company's u-turn. She says part of the reason a price is placed on a waste product is to make sure the cost of dealing with it is borne by the user.

- NEWSTALK ZB