 Helpful tips for reducing plastic bag use
Tips for households and shoppers and FAQs
Helpful tips for shoppers:
- Carry a bag when you go shopping. So you don't forget to take
your reusable bags, put them back in the car as soon as you unload
your shopping or put your car keys in one of them.
- If you walk to the shops, take a backpack. It's more comfortable
than carrying a bunch of plastic bags in your hands and is better
for your back too!
- Say 'no thanks' to plastic bags if you are only buying one or
two items.
- Encourage retail stores to sell reusable bags or provide other
alternatives, such as paper or biodegradable bags or recyclable
cardboard boxes.
- Support local stores that provide alternatives to plastic bags.
Got any other useful tips for fellow shoppers? Email them to us at
bagsnot@waitakere.govt.nz
Frequently Asked Questions:
What can I use to line my bin?
Here are a few options for bin liners:
- If you recycle as much as you can and compost your food waste, there should be no need to line your bin at all.
- Put your rubbish straight into your household bin and transfer
this to your larger council rubbish bag as required. Give the bin a
quick rinse afterwards and re-use the water on your garden.
- While it's good to recycle as many of your old newspapers as
possible, you could keep a few sheets aside each week to wrap your
rubbish or line your bin. This helps minimise mess and is a good
alternative to plastic liners.
- For alternative rubbish bags you can purchase biodegradable bags
from the following suppliers:
Friendly Pak
Earth Angel
Eco Store
East
West Organics
How can I help reduce the number of plastic bags used?
In addition to saying "No thanks" to plastic bags at supermarkets and
large retail outlets that stock alternatives, you can help reduce
plastic bags at convenience stores and take-away food shops:
- Keep a reusable bag in your car or handbag to use for unexpected
purchases.
- Don't accept a plastic bag from a takeaway store if you are
eating the food in the shop or close by.
- If you have placed a large takeaway order, ask if the food can
be packed in a cardboard box that can later be recycled.
Where can I recycle my plastic bags?
Some supermarkets accept the return of plastic bags for recycling in
store.
If you can't find a recycling bin at your supermarket, suggest to the
store manager that one is put in a prominent place. Remember to turn
bags inside out and remove any receipts and food scraps before
recycling.
Should I use biodegradable plastic bags?
When you start thinking about which plastic bag alternative to use, you
might notice there are a variety of 'degradable' and 'biodegradable'
bags on the market.
Biodegradable plastic bags are often made from farmed products like
cornstarch, which, in the right conditions, will break down into
elements like carbon dioxide, water and methane. Biodegradable bags are
generally best suited to composting and may contribute to methane
emissions if sent to landfill. To meet international standards, bags
need to compost within 12 weeks and fully biodegrade within six months.
Biodegradable bags are not suited to recycling.
Other degradable plastic bags break down primarily through the reaction
of a chemical additive to oxygen, light or heat and are also known as 'oxydegradable'
bags. Best suited to landfill disposal, they are also likely to survive
long enough to present a threat to animals if littered. They can take up
to a year to break down and while this process is occurring, smaller
plastic pieces may pose a threat to animals who mistake them for food.
Where can I recycle my 'green' polypropylene bags?
Unfortunately, New Zealand is not currently able to recycle
polypropylene bags.
What can I use to collect dog poo when walking my dog?
We all know how important it is to clean up after our pets. Here are a
few ways to do this without using of plastic bags:
- Use a recycled paper bag.
- Wrap it up in old newspaper.
- Check your local pet shop for other alternatives - there are
biodegradable dog waste bags available for sale on the internet.
- Carry an empty tin.
How can I reduce the harm plastic bags can cause?
Re-think, Refuse, Reduce, Re-use and Recycle plastic bags whenever
possible. If you throw plastic bags away, tie them in a knot. This
limits the chance that they'll blow out of a bin or blow away in
landfills.
Why does Council have plastic rubbish sacks?
Currently Council uses the grey plastic rubbish sacks for household
rubbish. The user pays system was implemented to encourage households to
reduce rubbish to landfill.
Currently Council is unable to implement a new rubbish bin system as the
Auckland Unitary Council is yet to decide on what system to use for the
Auckland region.
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