12th October 2007

NEWS RELEASE

Retailers Join Campaign To Reduce Plastic Bags

Fuel Retailers and Convenience stores join campaign to reduce plastic bags
Over seven hundred convenience stores have joined the campaign to “Make a Difference” by reducing our use of plastic bags bringing the total number of retail outlets now involved to over 1400.

Barry Hellberg, spokesperson for the New Zealand Retailers Association said that the extension of the initiative from the major supermarkets would have a positive impact on changing consumer attitudes to bag use:-

“Whether you are picking up a few items when you fill up with petrol or are doing the grocery shopping at the supermarket, you will be receiving the same message to think before you take a plastic bag.”

“The decision by the New Zealand Association of Convenience Stores to promote the Make a Difference logo and the campaign to its members is an excellent example of retailers working together to reduce our combined environmental impact.”

“In the last three years the two major supermarkets, Foodstuffs and Progressive Enterprises, along with The Warehouse have reduced their use of plastic bags by 9.5% taking nearly 70 million bags out of use which is the equivalent of approximately 17 million 2 litre drinks bottles. The backing of the convenience stores will boost the impetus for “saying no” to plastic bags at the counter. We hope this move will encourage non food retailers to join in.”

David Killeen, Executive Director of the NZ Association Convenience Stores (NZACS) said that many of his members have already started asking customers whether they need a plastic bag and encouraging them to use the prominent Make a Difference logo is a logical next step:

“Adopting a consistent logo with the supermarkets makes good sense because it reinforces the message for shoppers. We represent 769 stores from Awanui up north to Invercargill in the south with a market value of around $700million so the combined efforts of our members to encourage behaviour change can make a real difference in local communities around New Zealand.”

“Our members are principally the convenience outlets operated by the major fuel retailers and whilst they have a relatively low use of plastic bags because transactions tend to be small, we are still using an estimated 6 million bags per year. If we can cut this by 20%, we’ll be eliminating 1.2 million plastic bags.”

ends

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