Plastic bag fee proposal greeted well, says poll results

AUCKLAND (Scrap Monster): The latest poll conducted among New Zealanders suggests overwhelming support for plastic bag fee. According to the nationwide poll, 78% of the poll participants supported the idea of charging 15 c fee for plastic bags issued at supermarket checkout counters. Nearly 19% objected the idea, whereas the remaining 3% had no clear opinion on the matter. The proposed bill intends to levy 15c fee on plastic grocery bags, which in turn will be used to support projects and education campaigns aimed at minimizing plastic’s effects on environment.

Earlier this month, Green Party had launched a bill in Parliament that proposes levy of fee on single-use plastic bags at point of sales, in an attempt to discourage its use. It noted that imposition of similar fee on plastic bags in the UK has led to 85% reduction in usage and contributed millions for charity. The same model, if implemented in the country would substantially reduce the usage of plastic bags. Also, the money collected on bags could be utilized to fund waste minimization projects and educational awareness campaigns, it noted. Incidentally, rough estimates suggest that New Zealanders use approximately 1.6 billion single-use plastic bags every year.

Plastic contains toxins, such as phthalates, BPA and flame retardants. According to studies, plastic materials are one of the most common types of marine debris that cause problems to marine animals and birds. The scale of contamination of the marine environment by plastic debris is vast. Countless marine animals and sea birds become entangled in marine debris or injest it. This can cause them serious harm and can even lead to their death.

Studies indicate that plastics account for 60-80% of all marine debris. Almost half of the plastic waste that reach the ocean floats and travel for thousands of miles. On account of its durability and its resistance to natural biodegradation processes, plastics do not readily break down in the marine environment. The plastic debris may eventually be broken up into tiny fragments which in turn may potentially endanger wild life. Incidentally, every square mile of ocean is assumed to have nearly 46,000 pieces of plastics floating on it.

The supporters of the legislation claim that the harmful impacts of plastics on the environment can be reduced significantly by limiting the availability of free-of-cost plastic bags at grocery shops and department stores. According to them, plastic bags could be replaced with other alternatives such as biodegradable bags, reusable bags and recycled paper bags.

The country’s stores had launched an innovative Love NZ soft plastic packaging recycling programme during end-November last year, aimed at saving millions of plastic bags from ending up in landfills. The program allows shoppers to take back their used soft plastic bags to supermarkets and retail premises. The latest statistics released by the Packaging Forum states that recycling of soft plastic bags has exceeded 14.5 million since the launch of the programme almost a year before. It must be noted that the project is supported by major brands including Asaleo Care, Ceres Organics, Coca Cola Amatil, Cottonsoft, Farro Fresh, Frucor,  Goodman Fielder, Griffins, Hubbards, Kelloggs, Kimberly-Clark,Mars, Mother Earth, Mondelez (Cadbury), Nestle,  New Zealand Post, Pams,Pure Delish,Simplot (Birds Eye),SunRiceand Wrigleys; Amcor Flexibles, Astron, Coveris and Snell Packaging & Safety.