New Zealand's "Plastic Ban"

        The New Zealand government announced that from July 1, local time, New Zealand shopping malls and supermarkets are prohibited from providing or selling disposable plastic food bags and other products. Violators may be fined up to 100,000 New Zealand dollars, about 440,000 yuan. This means that New Zealand supermarkets have banned all plastic bags. New Zealand's "plastic ban" has made New Zealand the first country in the world to ban the use of disposable thin plastic bags in supermarkets.

        New Zealand's "Plastic Ban"

        This "Plastic Ban" is another round of plastic ban action in New Zealand since the plastic ban measures were issued in October last year. Since July 1, 2019, New Zealand merchants have entered the "plastic ban era" and merchants will no longer provide disposable plastic bags with a thickness of less than 70 microns.

        In addition, the New Zealand Ministry of Environment said that this round of bans targets disposable and difficult-to-recycle plastic products, and is expected to reduce the use of 150 million plastic food bags each year. In 2025, New Zealand will begin to ban the use of polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene food and beverage packaging.

        New Zealand tightens plastic ban measures

        Rachel Brooking, assistant minister of the New Zealand Ministry of Environment, said: "New Zealand produces too much garbage, too much plastic garbage."

          Brooking said that since New Zealand supermarkets banned thick plastic shopping bags in 2019, New Zealand has used less than 1 billion plastic bags; the latest move is expected to reduce the country's use of 150 million thin plastic bags each year.

        The latest plastic ban has also attracted criticism from some people who worry that consumers will turn to disposable paper bags provided by supermarkets for fruits and vegetables. However, Brooking said: "The plastic ban is still worth it, but we do want to reduce any disposable packaging... We hope that people will bring their own shopping bags and supermarkets will also sell reusable bags."