plastic bag ban: five things you need to know - nz herald

Mark D tomorrow-Day for single-
Plastic shopping bags are used in New Zealand, and new regulations prohibit merchants from providing plastic bags to customers.
Jamie Morton explains five things people need to know.
These rules apply to any type of plastic with a thickness of less than 70 microns, which is new or not
Used to transport goods sold and made of living things
Basic materials like starch.
It also includes bags made of biodegradable, biodegradable or oxidized plasticdegradable.
These products are sometimes called \"non-plastic \".
The typical type of package is the package provided by supermarkets and shops
The old Yellow Pak N holds bags of about 35 microns, while bags from clothing or department stores are usually between 50 and 70 microns.
Now a lot of people are using bags of jute or polypropylene that can be reused over and over again.
The government encourages retailers to clarify the thickness of the bags they provide to suppliers and recommends that they choose reusable bags. Over the six-month phase-
During the period leading to the law\'s entry into force, supermarkets have moved from single to single
Use plastic shopping bags to prevent tens of millions of shopping bags from entering circulation.
Kiwis also seems to have adopted this change very early, and the survey results show that as of last September, more than 80 shoppers had their own reusable bags --
From more than half a month before that.
Still, a pioneering survey conducted last week on Central Queen Street counted five new singles
Use plastic shopping bags to carry goods in four stores.
Farmers Leeming, Farmers, Daiso Japan, delicious troop-building takeout, Jay Jays, Mirrou and Hannahs all say they will have a compliant package starting tomorrow.
The survey counted 25 paper, woven and other types of bags that will be allowed to be used after Monday.
Many people put some smaller things in their bags or pockets.
Although creatures
Based on the fact that plastic bags are sometimes manufactured by factories, their manufacturing process prevents them from breaking down quickly or easily.
For example, compostable bags, if not properly composted, end up being a problem, and not everyone can use the home compost that can handle these bags.
But the Environment Ministry suggested that this part of the ban could be re-examined if appropriate infrastructure was developed.
People can still buy lightweight barrier bags, such as the one you get at a deli or a slaughter shop, as well as bin liners, pet garbage bags and diaper bags.
Bags used in the package are also tax-free, such as bread bags and bags of cooked chicken.
The government\'s rationale is that these types of bags are needed for hygiene purposes, and at this stage the government has not considered extending the ban to these bags.
Rules do not apply to long-
Many synthetic fabrics for life
Use shopping bags.
The thickness of these bags is usually between 45 and 75 microns, all or mainly made of nylon, polypropylene or polyester fabric, designed into a varietyuse.
Similarly, for certified entity-certified baggage capable of carrying 5 kg kilograms within a distance of 100 metres, there are at least 55 uses, with exceptions.
This exemption is intended to cover bags made of synthetic fabrics, since these bags are usually light in weight and can usually be folded up and placed in a pocket, backpack or handbag.
While the government has no targets to prosecute businesses that ignore the law, it promises to enforce violations.
There are warnings that retailers may face 6-
The digital penalty, although the court needs to determine the penalty if the prosecution is successful.
However, the department noted that it wanted to focus more on working with businesses to encourage compliance.
If someone contacted the department to tell them about the violation, the officer would contact the business and work with them to find out why they did not stop distributing prohibited baggage.
The department also plans to start a random retail zone audit to assess compliance levels and advise retailers where changes are needed.
It is estimated that in the recent period, the average usage per kiwifruit was 154.
Plastic shopping bags are used every year.
This is equivalent to about 0. 75 billion bags per year, or about 0 bags.
01 percentage of total waste weight entering the landfill site-
If they don\'t pollute our environment first
\"Lightweight single
\"The use of plastic shopping bags pollutes nature because they are easily transported by wind and water,\" said environment minister Eugienie Sage . \". \"The phase-
Out encourages people to act when they think about nature.
\"But while these bags are common, they are only a small fraction of all the sources of marine plastic.
Plastics currently account for about 80-85 of ocean waste, and once they enter the ocean, they end up breaking down into micro-plastics, which in turn can enter the food chain and cause countless other problems.
The government says the new measures are only the first step in addressing the bigger problem, the \"one-time culture\" of our linear economy, turning to the circular economy, where few people are thrown away or wasted.