New World matches rival on plastic
Supermarket chain New World will go plastic bag free by the end of 2018 after the results of its BagVote showed people don’t want bags at all.
BagVote originally asked New World customers if they wanted a charge of 10 cents or 5c, or no charge, on single-use plastic bags.
The majority asked for a 10c charge, but an overwhelming number of shoppers contacted New World’s owner, Foodstuffs, asking for a total ban option.
Last week, Countdown announced it would ban single-use plastic bags by 2018, but Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin said he would have banned the bag anyway.
‘‘We were out five weeks ago with the BagVote so I suspect Countdown might have responded to that actually,’’ he said.
‘‘What we really have to do is work together with customers to change shopping habits so customers bring a reusable bag into the store.’’
Quin said New World would start to minimise other plastic packaging in stores over the next 18 months.
‘‘We don’t think banning single-use plastic bags by a certain date is enough. Genuinely getting plastic out of the environment needs more action than that,’’ he said.
Quin said health and safety concerns, cost, and timing needed to be looked at.
New World will give away 2 million reusable bags over summer, based on different promotions such as how much shoppers spend.
On February 1 next year, it will introduce a voluntary donation of 10c per plastic bag at New World, which will go to environmental causes such as Sea Cleaners.
Stores will continue the 5c rebate for each reusable bag in North Island New World stores. Rebates for the South Island were being looked at.
More than 171,200 people voted in BagVote, with 76.5 per cent voting for a charge and almost 24 per cent voted to keep plastic bags free.