Call made to flag the bag
An Auckland woman is campaigning for her suburb to ban the use of plastic bags.
Mary Pearson from Karaka Bay is encouraging St Heliers Bay village retailers to stop using plastic bags.
Pearson said there were alternatives to plastic bag use and St Heliers retailers could be the first along the bays area to make the bags a thing of the past.
She proposed St Heliers retailers collectively stop using plastic bags. ‘‘That would be gold standard,’’ she said.
Amanda Stevenson from the St Heliers Business Association said it would be great if the residents and businesses supported the idea.
Stevenson said some retailers had already adopted the use of compostable plastic bags and others were using paper carry bags instead of plastic bags.
Pearson said being environmentally friendly would be a good thing for the retailers.
‘‘We need to stop polluting the very environment that we love, we all understand the effect single use plastic bags have on the environment,’’ she said.
Tamaki MP, Simon O’Connor said the fewer plastic bags that were circulating and being used, the better.
Pearson said she welcomed those interested in a plastic bag free St Heliers to email her on plasticbagfreestheliers@gmail.com.