No more plastic bags at Z

Z Energy service stations stopped providing single-use plastic bags to customers from last Friday, the end of a sixmonth phase out period in response to a groundswell of support from Kiwis for ending New Zealand’s dependency on plastic bags.

The move is part of Z’s commitment to environmental sustainability, and will take the 2.5 million plastic bags that Z previously provided each year out of circulation.

Z’s sustainability manager, Gerri Ward, says ditching plastic bags completely is a simple way to reduce waste and pollution.

“Plastic bags are a major source of ocean and river pollution. They can take up to 1000 years to degrade and even then, they never disappear completely. Even worse, 10 per cent of all dead animals found in beach clean-ups are entangled in plastic bags, so knowing Z’s given out its lastever bag is a good feeling,” says Gerri.

Z is encouraging customers to bring their own reusable bags and won’t be replacing single-use bags with an alternative because many common replacements are potentially equally or more damaging to the environment.

Gerri acknowledges the move may inconvenience some people while they get used to the change.

“Most Z store customers buy only a few small items, so they’re well placed to make the shift to a more environmentally sustainable way of shopping,” says Gerri.