Plastic bags at Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre. Photo / Bevan Conley
Plastic bags at Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre. Photo / Bevan Conley
Almost 180 complaints about businesses using single-use plastic bags have been reported since the ban came into place one month ago.
Retailers nationwide were banned from supplying the bags on July 1, but some continued to use them - with 178 complaints about businesses flouting the ban being logged withthe Ministry for the Environment in the month since it was introduced, figures released to the Herald show.
The 178 complaints related to 60 retailers.
Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage said she was pleased with the numbers, which she said were on a par with other countries.
"I'm pleased to see the positive reaction to the phase-out of single-use plastic shopping bags.
"The majority of New Zealanders care deeply about reducing waste and doing what we can to keep our rivers, beaches, and oceans free from plastic so fish, turtles and other marine life can thrive.
"I understand the rates of reports are in line with the international experience of similar effective phase-outs, and it's good to see the education approach is working."
The Ministry for the Environment developed an online portal where consumers could report those breaking the law.
And figures provided by the Ministry reveal the number of reports filed in the first five weeks of the ban.
PLASTIC
However, Sage said the figures related to the number of complaints, not the number of businesses.
"I am advised that the same businesses were often reported by different people, so the number of individual businesses reported as being in breach of the regulations is around 60."
The ban applies to all plastic bags with handles, including thicker boutique-style plastic bags and any described as being biodegradable.
It doesn't include roll plastic produce bags used for pet waste, bin liners or those commonly found in supermarkets and greengrocers.
However, Paradise Indian takeaway owner Rafi Mohammed said this was a "temporary measure" to clear about a pallet of plastic bags the restaurant still had.
"Just to be clear, we are not doing this because we don't support the ban," he said.
Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage. Photo / Duncan Brown
However, a day after the Herald uncovered the scheme, Mohammed said immediate changes were made and only paper bags would be used from then-on.
It's not clear if Paradise was one of the businesses reported to the Ministry via its online portal.
Under the Waste Minimisation Act, businesses or retailers who fail to comply with the ban could face prosecution and fines up to $100,000.
As of yet, no businesses had been prosecuted Sage said, adding it was not the current focus for the ministry.
"The compliance priority has been education and engagement to ensure retailers understand the ban and the alternatives available.
"Prosecution is a last resort when [and if] compliance cannot be achieved through other actions.
"We will continue to engage, educate and assist retailers in complying with the ban and finding alternatives to plastic bags."
According to Stats NZ figures, in January, 96 per cent of Kiwis said they or someone in their household usually used reusable bags.
Examples of bags allowed under the plastic bag ban. Photo / File
The numbers were collected between April 2018 and March 2019 from the General Social Survey which showed a change in behaviour around reusable bags.
In April 2018, 70 per cent of people lived in a household where at least one person usually took reusable bags shopping.
The number jumped to 92 per cent in October 2018 - the 96 per cent mark reached in January of this year.
Meanwhile, all age groups saw an increase in their household's reusable bag usage the survey found, but young people had the biggest change.
In the first three months, of those aged 15 to 24-years-old, only 64 per cent of households took reusable bags when shopping.
However, the number skyrocketed to 96 per cent by the last three months of the collection - a percentage not significantly different from other age groups.
The Government wasn't considering bans on any other single-use plastic items at this stage, but Sage encouraged people to use their own methods to reduce plastic waste.
Guy Body's view on plastic bag pollution. Photo / Guy Body
"For example, people can choose to bring their own reusable produce bags when buying fruit or vegetables or go without a bag," she said.
"Other options for bin liners include lining your bin with newspaper, or going without a bin liner and washing your bin more often.
"The single-use plastic shopping bag ban has been a reminder for all of us to think more about how we can create less waste, and protect the environment."
How the ministry is undertaking its compliance, according to Sage:
• Undertaking education and engagement to promote compliance;
• Monitoring to identify potential non-compliance;
• Investigating significant non-compliance;
• Taking appropriate action when non-compliance is confirmed.
