Woolworths-owned supermarket Countdown is now single-use plastic carrier bag free.
All Countdown stores across the country have phased out the use of plastic bags starting October 15, two and a half months ahead of its announced schedule, and have been using reusable bags since.
According to the retailer, its move to phase out single-use plastic carrier bags will see 350 million of these bags no longer in circulation in New Zealand each year.
Kiri Hannifin, general manager Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, said the business is very proud to have delivered on its promise to Kiwis ahead of schedule.
“We are absolutely over the moon to have not only been the first supermarket to commit to phasing out these bags, but also the first to actually deliver on our promise to Kiwis,” Hannifin said.
Hannifin said they were initially apprehensive to phase out something that had been such a convenience for so long, but knew it was the right thing to do and their customers were calling for it. He said Countdown is currently trialling the use of paper bags in some bakeries for self-serve baked goods.
“We’re also now turning our focus to the produce and fresh sections of our stores in our wider efforts to remove and reduce unnecessary plastic and packaging wherever we can,” Hannifin said.
