Mayor Welcomes Countdown Phasing Out Plastic Bags

Mayor Phil Goff has welcomed Countdown’s announcement that it will phase out single-use plastic bags in all its stores and online shopping by the end of 2018.

Mayor Phil Goff said, “I want to reduce plastic bag use in Auckland and welcome Countdown’s announcement to phase out plastic bags by the end of next year.

“I met with Countdown early in my mayoralty to seek their support for reducing plastic bags in Auckland. It is great to see them responding positively to our discussion and to customer sentiment.

“Reducing plastic bag use is a crucial part of decreasing waste and protecting our environment. I encourage others to follow suit.

“If other businesses make efforts to reduce plastic bag use and the Government introduces a levy on plastic bags, we can likely cut around 500 to 600 million plastic bags a year out of our waste stream in Auckland alone.

“Charging or banning plastic bags cannot be introduced through a council bylaw and I will continue to work with MPs to promote a change through a Local Bill in Parliament,” said Mayor Goff.

ENDS

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