You recently published a letter arguing against phasing out plastic bags, and claiming that paper bags are worse than single-use plastic bags.
To be clear to your readers, I understand plastic shopping bags are not our only waste problem, but they can have serious impacts on marine wildlife, and they
are contributing to the growing issue of microplastics in our food chain.
It is estimated that up to five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year. If put one after the other, these plastic bags could be wrapped around the world seven times every hour.
In its coastal litter clean-ups here in New Zealand, Sustainable Coastlines has found that plastic bags are among the five most common items picked up.
Phasing out single-use plastic shopping bags is an important first step to tackling New Zealand's wider waste problem, including other single-use plastics. Importantly, it signals that as a country we need to do things very differently — manufacturers, retailers and consumers all have a responsibility to reduce waste and prevent plastic pollution.
