The BFD’s writers have one and all been opposed to the government’s ban on so called single-use plastic bags. We opposed them for a number of reasons:
- Banning them does not save turtles or help the environment as New Zealand is not the source of plastic pollution in our oceans.
- It is very inconvenient for customers.
- It is unhygienic
- They are not single-use as we all reuse them in a variety of ways.
- Replacing them with paper bags means we will cut down more trees and is like replacing cars with horse-drawn carriages.
- Handless bags are a loophole that allows plastic bags to still be used. How does a lack of a handle make a plastic bag good for the environment?
- Everything else in the supermarket is wrapped and stored inside plastic as it is the superior method to keep perishable foodstuffs like telegraph cucumbers fresh.
Now that we are in the middle of a COVID-19 pandemic, the government’s ban on hygienic plastic bags all of a sudden moves from being an inconvenience to a serious health risk to the public.
Already moves are afoot to promote the use of paywave to avoid having to touch buttons when making purchases, so shouldn’t the government reverse their ban on plastic bags in order to protect shoppers’ health and reduce the spread of COVID-19?
Due to a lack of decisive action by PM Jacinda Ardern, businesses and schools are making the decisions for her. Schools are discussing closing down and businesses are doing the same. Ardern may be loath to do the right thing because she doesn’t want to look bad but responsible businesses and schools are going to do what needs to be done.
Many food-based businesses are already forbidding the use of shoppers’ own plastic containers and bags. When is the government going to come out in support of these sensible measures and un-ban the very useful and hygienic plastic bag?