Cotton buds earmarked for plastic clampdown
Plastic-stemmed cotton buds are to be pulled from supermarket shelves later this year as companies continue to clamp down on plastic products.
Foodstuffs, which operates New World, Pak’n Save and Four Square stores, announced the new initiative yesterday to mark World Oceans Day.
The announcement comes as Foodstuffs presented a bench seat to Whale Watch Kaiko¯ura, made completely from recycled soft plastics and microbeads collected during a 2017 amnesty.
Microbeads were banned in New Zealand after it became clear the small particles could end up in the ocean, where they could be eaten by shellfish, fish and seabirds.
Foodstuffs New Zealand managing director Steve Anderson said the company cared about its community, its people and the planet.
‘‘Foodstuffs is doing everything we can to reduce our environmental footprint and nowhere is it more evident about how much this matters, than this wonderful place of Kaiko¯ ura.’’
Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage attended the unveiling of the bench seat and said she was delighted at how quickly New Zealand businesses were tackling the waste challenge.
‘‘The announcement that Steve [Anderson] has made this morning of moving to ban plastic-stemmed cotton buds, following on from some of the initiatives in the UK, is quite a significant announcement,’’ Sage said.
‘‘The new Government is moving to catch up. We’ve got quite a lot of work in the waste space but it’s brilliant to see businesses taking initiative.
‘‘I haven’t unveiled a plastic seat before.’’