NZ rules on plastic bags not as strict as New Delhi

In India, carrying a polythene shopping bag can land you in jail. While some countries are getting tough on rubbish, what is New Zealand doing about the plastic bag problem?

Drains blocked by plastic bags in Delhi provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes and add to the problem of flooding during the monsoon.

Now a law has been passed there which could mean customers, shopkeepers, hoteliers and hospital staff face a 100,000 rupee fine ($3800) and possible jail time for using non-biodegradable bags.

While an outright ban is not on the cards in New Zealand, a Make a Difference campaign to reduce by a fifth the use of plastic bags is on target to reach its goal by July.

Packaging Accord 2004 -- a packaging recycling plan to be completed by 2009 -- is on track to hit a 20 percent plastic bag reduction with 144 million fewer bags used each year.

So far, 100 million bags have been taken out of circulation, most (86 million) in the past two years as the campaign to involve shoppers has gained momentum.

Foodstuffs New Zealand, Progressive Enterprises, Woolworths and The Warehouse were among those to sign the Packaging Accord in 2004.

Other major retailers, such as Mitre 10 and Caltex, have also joined the campaign. Others, including Bunnings and Borders, have their own bag reduction scheme.

The New Zealand Retailers Association opposes a ban or mandatory tax on plastic bags and rejects calls for New Zealand to follow the South Australian government, which introduced a Plastic Shopping Bags (Waste Avoidance) Act on January 1.

Delhi was not first to ban plastic bags -- Bangladesh brought in a ban in 2002 for the same reason -- to counter increasing fears they were blocking drains during the monsoon.

Australia, Taiwan, Rwanda and Singapore have since banned, discouraged or promoted re-use of plastic bags. Towns and cities in India, the United States and the United Kingdom have followed.

Taxing plastic bags has been tried out in both Denmark and Ireland. The tax, imposed in 2002 in Ireland, had reduced useage in Dublin by more than 95 percent.

UK supermarkets were warned in 2007 that they had a year to reduce the number of plastic bags handed out, or face legislation.


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Paper or plastic: Will the choice soon be obsolete?

A City Council in southern USA is looking at a plan to lobby the Florida Legislature to go green. The City Council first addressed the issue last year, when they looked at a way to cut down on the number of plastic shopping bags heading out of the doors at local retailers.

At that time, the state said that cities and counties could not make decisions on regulating plastic bags at retailers. The Council hasn't give up. They will soon decide whether to make lobbying the legislature about plastic shopping a priority.



"Anything to help the environment is a good idea," says a shopper. She and many others we talked to say they think reusable bags, like those sold at Target and many grocery stores, are a great idea.

"I got started at Costco. They sell big plastic bags. They're great - they're convenient and they're green! I'm going green!" says another shopper. While many are for it, some say the reusable bag isn't for everyone.

But that may not be the only solution. Other cities around the country have done anything from charge for plastic, to bad it all together. This means good news for those concerned with the environment, specially for folks who make it their business to offer affordable renewable, reusable and bio-degradable shopping bags.

Who's side are you on?

Bag That Shopping Bag !!

The latest in the Chronicle features the Aussie duo Janina and Celina who've promoted and promoted fashionable shopping bags in their endeavor to stop folks from using the 'stupid' plastic bags.

What makes these two women (One of them is a mother and is able to manage work and a young kid easily) so special? Honestly, it is their relentless aim to work to rid the planet off plastic bags.

Click here to read the article.

Well, at least they're working to rid their town of plastic. And trust me, every fabric shopping bag we use, stops a few plastic bags from being brought into consumption; and that my dear friends, makes a huge difference.

Know more about how to save your town from plastic bags: Read more.

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