This is the former Waitakere City Council website, which has some of the information and services you need if you live or do business in the area. Go to the main Auckland Council website to access the complete range of council services.
Moving away from plastics
Suppliers of alternative bags
Customer expectation
Most customers now prefer alternatives to plastic bags
because they care about protecting the environment - and
this means they want to shop with retailers who are doing
their bit to help the environment too. This can help to
foster customer loyalty and enhance your public image.
Improving the bottom line
Financial savings is another obvious benefit to businesses
offering the choice of reusable bags to customers. New
Zealand businesses spend millions each year giving out
"free" plastic shopping bags to customers. What's it costing
you to supply all those plastic bags?
Promote your efforts
Many small businesses are now selling their own plastic bag
alternatives at a small profit and advertising their
business and their environmental stance on their bags at the
same time.
Promote your efforts with a sign on your front door or
window announcing your support for reducing plastic bag
usage in Waitakere.
You could also promote or advertise the action you're taking
to reduce the millions of plastic shopping bags used by New
Zealanders every year via community newsletters, local
newspapers and radio.
Addressing bag security issues
When a customer chooses to use their own bag in your store,
you could suggest they keep their receipt with the item in
their bag until they get home. That way, the customer can
avoid embarrassment if asked about their bag contents at
another store.
In larger stores, security staff need to be prepared to ask
for till receipts from customers leaving the store carrying
their own reusable bag. Placing a sign about your bag-check
policy at your store entrance would also be helpful in
alerting customers to the fact that it is standard practice
to check for proof of purchase before they exit the store.
These easy steps will help your customers move away
from the use of plastic bags to reusable bag options:
1. Train staff to offer alternatives
Phrases like "Do you need a bag for that?", "Do you want to
put this in your own carry bag?", "We prefer not to supply
plastic bags" or "We are working towards being plastic
shopping bag free and would prefer not to give out plastic
bags to our customers" are very effective in helping
shoppers to say no to plastic shopping bags and yes to any
alternatives you may stock.
2. Encourage your customers
Encourage customers to purchase a reusable bag, if you have them. Ask
customers if they really need a plastic bag and help them to say no.
Promote your store by supplying customers with reusable bags
with your logo on them.
Give away reusable bags for customers who spend over a certain
amount.
For customers worried about paying for a plastic bag
alternative, suggest they bring their own bag back to the store next
time they shop.
Consider offering customers a discount (e.g. 10 cents) on their
purchase if they have their own reusable bag with them.
Educate customers about your bag policy by adding a message to
your till display or to the bottom of customer receipts.
Team up with other retailers to run a 'bag swap'.
Use a promotion to address customers' automatic expectation of a
plastic bag being provided with their purchase. For example, a jar
of lollies on the counter with a sign saying 'Take a lolly, not a
bag'.
Display posters on the environmental impacts of plastic bags or
even a graph showing how many plastic bags you have saved since you
started supporting the Bags Not! campaign.
Supply used cardboard boxes for your customers to use.
Provide a ‘plastic bag free’ aisle.
3. Sell alternative or reusable bags
Sell your own alternative bags, such as those made from recycled
paper, calico, recycled PET or polypropylene.
Consider teaming up with other retailers to purchase reusable
bags in bulk and save money.
If you are a Waitakere business providing your customers with alternatives to plastic bags and want to become a Bags Not! supporter, email us at
bagsnot@waitakere.govt.nz so we can add you to our Supporting Businesses page.
Helpful tips for retailers