Protesters plan day of checkout ‘plastic attack’
Shoppers are being encouraged to leave plastic packaging behind at supermarkets as part of a national day of plastic protest being planned by a group of waste-conscious customers.
The issue was brought to the fore when Thom Adams posted to Twitter a photo of muffins in a Porirua New World that were individually encased in plastic.
Adams’ tweet caught the attention of science and sustainability communications adviser Kimberley Collins, who proposed a national day of action where plastic packaging is unwrapped and left in supermarkets.
Plastic protests, also called ‘‘plastic attacks’’ or ‘‘shop and drops’’, are gaining momentum around the world as a way for shoppers to show retailers that they’re fed up with plastic waste.
Collins said the protest was in its planning stage in New Zealand. The idea was to send a message to the two main supermarket giants, Foodstuffs and Progressive Enterprises, that customers want more action when it comes to reducing plastic waste.
‘‘We want to shift the mindset of New Zealanders away from single-use plastic but also help them to realise that consumers have the power,’’ Collins said.
Foodstuffs, which owns New World and Pak’n Save, took exception when asked whether or not it supported customers leaving behind plastic packaging at its stores.
‘‘Frankly, we are disappointed that is essentially writing a story encouraging the public to come into stores and create litter,’’ Foodstuffs’ head of external relations, Antoinette Laird, said.
‘‘Moving New Zealand to a circular economy is a massive task and we hope our customers will help us positively contribute to achieving this rather than negatively create additional waste and work for our stores.’’
Packaging had a number of functions, such as preservation, food safety, waste reduction and convenience, she said. ‘‘Ever wiped your eye with ‘chilli hands’? That’s one reason to package chillies, among others.’’
Progressive Enterprises, which owns Countdown, said finding alternative packaging solutions was a challenge for Progressive and its suppliers.
‘‘Currently, whether customers take their packaging home with them or leave it in our store, the end result will be the same.’’