Next step of the single-use plastics ban: What you need to know
Next step of the single-use plastics ban: What you need to know
Explainer - The next phase of the government's single use plastics ban begins 1 July, and may change some of the ways you shop. RNZ is here with what you need to know.
Here are the changes as of 1 July:
- The manufacture, sale or distribution of single-use plastic produce bags, plates, bowls, and cutlery will be banned.
- Single-use plastic straws will be restricted. Some businesses or organisations will still be able to provide them to disabled people and those with health needs.
- A transition to compostable plastic produce labels by 2025 will begin.
More info at the Ministry for the Environment: https://environment.govt.nz/what-you-can-do/campaigns/bans-on-single-use-and-hard-to-recycle-plastic-items/
I’m so happy to be rid of those horrible plastic fruit stickers!
Yeah those are a pain, I keep finding them in my compost bin.
We aren't quite. From the list here: https://environment.govt.nz/publications/plastic-products-banned-from-july-2023/#non-home-compostable-plastic-produce-labels
- The regulations do not apply to produce labelled prior to 1 July 2023 and already in the supply chain.
- The label adhesive (glue) is not required to be home compostable until 1 July 2025. Globally, label manufacturers are working to develop a home compostable adhesive. This is expected to be available by 2025.
- Labels used on imported produce are not required to be home compostable until 1 July 2025. This will avoid the cost of delabelling produce and gives other countries time to move to home compostable labels.
A good step
We recycle our soft plastics, and I'm amazed at how much we use for the kids' school lunches. Our school does litter free lunches, so I unwrap everything at home: muesli bars, fruit bars, lollies, as well as things to make sandwiches: blocks of cheese, lunch meats from the deli, bread.. it's all wrapped in plastic.
Wasn't there a push for using paper or some other biodegradable for bread recently? We got rid of the plastic bread clips/jandal repair kits.
I personally feel like I use so little plastic for fruit/veg.. I just put them in my shopping bag like everything else, and some of it comes in a bag already if I'm at countdown or the like. One thing I don't see getting rid of plastic is the deli in the grocery or the butcher.. unless I start bringing glassware with me.
We recycle our soft plastics, and I’m amazed at how much we use for the kids’ school lunches.
I try to limit plastic in school lunches but I'm always keen for ideas!
But often the stuff you put in can come in a bigger bag. One big bulk plastic bag is a lot less plastic than individually wrapped things (especially when the individually wrapped things are themselves in a bag). I try not to do muesli bars too often, but if you're keen you can make your own.
One thing I don’t see getting rid of plastic is the deli in the grocery or the butcher… unless I start bringing glassware with me.
Pre-COVID Countdown started advertising bring your own deli container, but then they stopped it during COVID and I never heard about it again. Did they start again?
I was thinking about it the other day when making lunches, but honestly I don't think I would make the fruit bars and muesli bars. I'm not a great food prep/cook type person, and I doubt I'd put in the energy/practice required to get better. It may just come down to not using the boxed and then individually wrapped things like we do currently.
Yeah I haven't seen anything on bringing deli containers, I was just saying it would need to be that way to avoid deli and butcher single use plastics. I bet I could do it at countdown.. they'd just need to tare the scale with my glassware before putting the product in it instead of the plastic bag. I haven't tried.
Amazing, I've been wanting this implemented for ages.
The supermarket I work at took away the produce bags a couple of weeks ago and so many people were utterly unprepared for it. Last week the bags had returned.
Uh oh, I better let my partner know, she likes keeping those bags because we use them as bin liners
Not having a replacement option available there seems very foolish, paper bags are still a thing.