Plastic Bags. Briefing note for the Waiau Citizens Association

Transcription

1 Briefing note for the Waiau Citizens Association Plastic Bags A single reusable fabric bag has the potential to eliminate the need to use over 1,000 plastic bags. Sonny Whitelaw Community Development Advisor Hurunui District Council

2 Background The Waiau Citizens Association requested that the Hurunui District Council Community Development Advisor research methods for reducing plastic shopping bags in Waiau. An initial desktop exercise has now been undertaken, this involved: Internet and print media research Discussions with New World and Countdown supermarkets in Rangiora Discussions with Hurunui Council engineers, and the roading and utilities manager Discussions with Amberley Resource Recovery Park Discussions with NZ manufactures and importers of plastic bag alternatives Disclaimer The contents of this report are in no way to be construed as reflecting the opinion of, or offering recommendations by the Hurunui District Council, its departments or officers. No preference is implied for any suggestions contained within this report, nor is any financial contribution implied now or in the future. This document has been produced as a desktop exercise as part of the Community Development Advisor s role. The tone of this report is intentionally conversational and questioning. 2

3 Introduction Multiple economic, environmental, and social problems are associated with the use of plastic bags. Reducing or replacing them raises a different set of problems. Nevertheless through the efforts of governments, local councils, citizens groups, and individuals, plastic bags are successfully being reduced or banned outright in many towns and cites around the world. This report outlines some of the problems associated with plastic bags, strategies used in New Zealand and elsewhere to reduce or ban them, potential challenges and possible options for reducing /replacing plastic shopping bags in Waiau. 1.0 Plastic bags There are two main types of plastic bags in use. The high- density polyethylene (HDPE) singlet type bag used mainly in supermarkets, take- away food and produce outlets, and the low- density polyethylene (LDPE) branded boutique style shopping bags. Both types are petroleum based, while the amount of petroleum used to make a plastic bag would drive the average car about 11 metres. The same properties that have made plastic bags so commercially successful and ubiquitous namely their low weight and resistance to degradation have also contributed to their proliferation in the environment. Both types are manufactured using a man- made polymer that microorganisms don t recognize as food. It takes between 20 and 1000 years for plastic bags to degrade through photoradiation, however they remain in the environment as tiny granules. 2.0 Plastic bags in New Zealand According to government data, in 2007 New Zealanders use 1.14 billion plastic bags annually. A survey of supermarkets revealed that the average family consumes ten plastic bags per transaction. New World Rangiora, for example, spends some $400,000 each year in plastic bags at a cost of 4 cents per bag 1. In spite of recycling campaigns in New Zealand around 40,000 plastic bags go into landfill every hour 2. 1 All types of plastic bags including product packaging as well as shopping bags. 2 Including product packaging and garbage bags 3

4 2.0 Environmental Impacts Because of their lightness and tendency to balloon with the wind, plastic bags enter the environment often inadvertently along disposal routes, for example litter bins, landfills, and animal (birds, vermin etc) interactions with bins. In Australia, which has adapted strong policies to reduce plastic bag consumption, an estimated 30 and 50 million bags litter the environment each year, plus another 20 to 30 million bags inadvertently littered during waste disposal. 2.1 Non- renewal resource Plastic bags are manufactured from a non- renewal resource oil. 2.2 Landfills Even with the best engineering and management systems, there are a range of social, environmental, and economic problems associated with landfills. From an environmental perspective, plastic bags slow decomposition rates, produce trace constituents associated with odour problems, and produce methane and carbon dioxide, the two most important contributors to climate change. Landfills in the US for example, are the second highest source of greenhouse gas emissions, surpassed only by fossil fuel combustion. Even the most efficient landfill gas recovery systems capture no more than 70% of the gas generated. Secondly, while engineering standards have been continually improving, studies suggest ecotoxic substances may be produced for several centuries even after landfills are closed, particularly in earthquake prone areas where fracturing can comprise the liners designed to prevent toxins from leaking. 2.3 Toxins In addition to toxic substances from landfills, burning even small quantities of plastics such as bags mixed with food scraps releases dioxins, a diverse range of chemical compounds known to be extremely toxic to humans. Air emissions from burning rubbish, a common practice in rural areas, 4

5 are released directly into the atmosphere without being treated or filtered. These emissions are carcinogenic and a known a hormone disruptor 3. They also settle on crops and in waterways, entering the food chain where they accumulate in our bodies and the food we eat, and are passed on to our children via the placenta and breast milk. 2.4 Wildlife Plastic bags entangle and suffocate wildlife and when ingested, causing agonising deaths when they twist inside intestines. Marine turtles, for example, which normally feed on sea jellies (jellyfish) often mistake plastic bags for food. The tragedy is compounded, particularly in the marine environment, when the dead animal decomposes because the plastic bag is re- released into the environment, available again for another animal to ingest and cause a fatality. This is repeated again and again until the bag is fully degraded. It is estimated that one plastic bag in the marine environment kills an average of ten animals. It is currently estimated that 100,000 mammals and turtles are killed by plastic debris annually, while bird numbers may be higher. 3.0 Economic Impacts The cradle- to- grave cost of plastic bags on the environment and human health, that is their cost from the time they are manufactured until they break down in the environment, may be difficult to quantify, however it far exceeds their average cost to NZ supermarkets of 4 cents per unit. 3.1 Recycling The Packaging Council commonly claims that removing plastic bags would have a negative economic impact on recycling operators, stating, Plastic bags are a valuable raw material for recyclers because they are 'clean' plastic which can be easily made into pallets, underground cable covers and other plastic products. This is a disingenuous claim; indeed the Resource Recovery Plant in Amberley absolutely and unequivocally supports any initiative to, annihilate all plastic bags because 3 Hormone disruptors lead to breast and prostate cancers, infertility, and malformation of sexual organs or sterility in subsequent generations. 5

6 bags contaminated with any non- plastic material such as small amounts of crumbs or food scraps or shopping dockets cannot be recycled. It is not cost effective to clean these bags, consequently they are sent to landfill bags frequently find their way into the material recovery facility the conveyor bets and machinery and cause mechanical breakdowns the Resource Recovery Plant in Amberley pays $40/ton to cart plastic bags to a recycling centre in Christchurch, where it sells for $17/tonne. In short, every ton of clean plastic bags the Resource Recovery Park can recycle, ie is not contaminated, costs them $23/ton. It is difficult to make an economic argument supporting a financial loss on a recycled product. For these reasons Timaru, for example, refuse to recycle plastic bags. Instead all plastic bags are sent to landfill. Thus, while plastic bags are theoretically recyclable, few are in fact recycled. 3.3 Undermines 100% pure image The visible presence of plastic bags has a negative effect on New Zealand s clean green image. Again, the dollar value on this is difficult to determine but at a local level, the presence of plastic bags littering the environment can be the difference between travellers opting to stop in an appealing village or drive through because it lacks appeal. One appeal is to market a town or village that proudly bans plastic shopping bags. 3.4 Blockages leading to flooding Once in the environment, plastic bags frequently end up in drains and septic pipes causing blockages. While it is not possible to place a definitive dollar value on their cost to the Hurunui District, discussion with council engineers has revealed that plastic bags not only add to the cost of cleaning culverts, drains, and pipes, but critically, contribute to costly flooding in the district. Removing plastic bags would save the community far more than it would cost to use alternatives. 6

7 4.0 Social Impacts The cumulative environmental and economic effects of plastic bags have a negative effect on society as a whole. Visually, plastic bags are regarded as ugly and detrimental to the overall well- being of communities, while contention over landfills is ongoing. Where communities have made the commitment to reduce or ban plastic bags, community pride and overall sense of community spirit and achievement is enhanced. 5.0 Alternatives Paper bags are not considered a viable alternative as they are less durable and consume over 40% more energy and produce 50%- 70% more pollutants to than plastic bags during production, and can only be recycled 5-7 times. Reusable bags on the other hand use only 9% of the energy and 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic bag use. Hence, strategies to remove or reduce plastic bags have been used with varying degrees of success around the world. 5.1 Strategies to reduce plastic bags Several options have been implemented. These options fall under one of the following 1. Kerbside recycling 2. Altering consumer behaviour through education 3. Inroducing plastic bag levies 4. Banning certain types of plastic bags 5. Introducing reusable green Non Woven Polypropylene (NWPP) non- biodegradable bags 6. Introducing reusable natural fibre (cotton, hemp etc) shopping bags 7. Introducing compostable shopping bags made from potato or other vegetable starch 8. Combination of the above In 2002 in Ireland, for example, the government introduced the plastax to clean up the bags littering the streets. The tax had the desired effect, decreasing the number of bags used by 90% in the first three months. Currently, the tax is the equivalent of about NZ$0.50/bag. The revenue goes to the environment ministry s enforcement and clean- up projects. 7

8 5.1 New Zealand strategies The current legal framework for waste minimisation and management in New Zealand is provided for through the following Acts of Parliament: 1. The Waste Minimisation Act (WMA) The Local Government Act (LGA) The Resource Management Act (RMA) The Emissions Trading Amendment Act Role of the Council The Hurunui District Council provides and manages (either in house or through contractors) a number of waste management and waste minimisation programmes within the district for residents, ratepayers, businesses and visitors. This is managed through the Amenities and Special Projects section of the Council. A full breakdown of this plan can be downloaded from Plan.pdf Commercial strategies in New Zealand While kerbside recycling and altering consumer behaviour has been implemented throughout New Zealand, a compulsory charge on plastic bags at supermarkets has been ruled out by the New Zealand Government despite overseas evidence, such as Ireland, that a small fee can cut their use dramatically. However, in 2004, Foodstuffs, Progressive Enterprise, and The Warehouse signed the New Zealand Packaging Accord with the goal of reducing by 20% the number of bags used that year. According to Foodstuffs, We [Pak n Save] had a 24% reduction in bag numbers in , with a 25% increase in the sale of re- usable [ green non- biodegradable] bags we sell in store. In April 2009, Foodstuffs and The Warehouse went one step further and introduced a levy on plastic bags, after making two assumptions: 1. There would be a high level of customer buy- in. A survey of 600 Warehouse customers, for example, showed 78% supported charging for plastic bags, with 85% of those affected by trials at stores saying they would choose not to use a plastic bag once the charge applied. 2. Progressive Enterprises would follow suite, ensuring a united front amongst all major retailers. Both assumptions were incorrect. There was considerable resistance and customer backlash over charging for plastic bags in some regions, and Progressive Enterprises did not apply the levy. By October 2009, Foodstuffs had rescinded the levy except through Pak n Save, where it was marketed as a user- pays method in keeping with its branding as a no frills discount supermarket chain. 8

9 Moreover, The New Zealand Retailers Association was opposed to the move to ban plastic bags, arguing, Our view is that if you can keep them under control and reduce their numbers without throwing them out that would be the best thing. In short, it placed the onus of disposing of bags onto the consumer, which it apparently assumes will never throw them away. This blame- the- consumer approach contravenes the intent of the Packaging Accord and global and local environmental management systems 4 that measure sustainability through cradle- to- grave analysis of manufactured goods, including plastic bags. Nevertheless in 2004 the citizens of Collingwood, Golden Bay made a community decision to ban plastic bags, and in 2005 proudly marketed itself as the first New Zealand town to go plastic shopping bag free. West Coast Tasman M.P. Damien O Connor said at the time, Collingwood should be congratulated on their commitment and contribution to the environment. It s estimated that, although tiny, the Golden Bay community consumes one million plastic shopping bags each year Their initiative and progress to date are impressive. When Collingwood went plastic bag free the news went global, enhancing a movement that continues to snowball. Today, for example, plastic bags are legally banned in Maui (the entire state of Hawaii plans to ban them by 2015) Toronto (Canada), Los Angeles (US) and in Bangladesh, where plastic bags were directly responsible for flooding that killed thousands (due to blocked drains and culverts). In the years since, several New Zealand communities have also successfully followed Collingwood s lead. In 2007 in Kaikoura, for example, Seal Swim Kaikoura and the Kaikoura District Council together with several local businesses sponsored the cost of printing 10,000 bags. The logo was designed by a local schoolgirl and the name of every business that signed up was printed on the bags. Each Kaikoura household received one reusable bag free and each local school student also received one free bag. Today, bags are sold by local businesses and all profits returned to the Kaikoura Enhancement Trust to print more bags. See 4 See for example EarthCheck ( which certifies Kaikoura District Council. 9

10 6.0 Possible strategies for Waiau While Waiau is a much smaller community than Kaikoura, it has the advantage of a small number of retail outlets and an enthusiastic and motivated citizens association, maximising the potential buy- in from residents and retailers alike. Three broad options might be considered in part or in combination, each with its own advantages and disadvantages outlined below. No preference has been given to any ideas and their listed order is in no way indicative of favour. Neither has any cost analysis or feasibility work been undertaken. 1. Introduce 100% recyclable Non Woven Polypropylene (NWPP), green non- biodegradable shopping bags 2. Introduce 100% recyclable natural fibre (jute or hemp) shopping bags 3. Introduce 100% compostable shopping bags made from potato or other vegetable starch 4. Added option introduce compostable potato starch food containers for takeaway and packaged items such as drinks and meats 6.1 Introduce 100% recyclable Non Woven Polypropylene (NWPP), green non- biodegradable shopping bags The green shopping bags commonly purchased in most supermarkets are manufactured from non- woven polypropylene (NWPP), an oil- based plastic that is 100% recyclable. These range in price and can be branded. Companies selling these in New Zealand include The Green Bag Company ( Envirosax ( and Albury Shopping Bags in Christchurch ( which sells them from NZ$ GST inc. custom print 1 colour. Other companies can be sourced by Googling green shopping bags New Zealand. NOTE 1 Cotton bags also are available however the use of cotton is arguably less sustainable due to agricultural and child labour practices. For example, The Auckland Waste Managers Forum produced a design for cloth bags supplied to many Pak n Save, Four Square and New World stores from Taupo up to the Northland and East Coast of the North Island. All Councils in the Auckland region bought bags distributed them from libraries and Council offices. The bags are made from unbleached cotton and the design uses vegetable based inks. However the original order specified no child labour to be used in the production of the bag so alternatives to cotton are being investigated. 10

11 Advantages : very durable and cost effective. : can be branded to promote business or reinforce consumer s good behaviour : contributes to changing consumer behaviour towards packaging Disadvantages : an oil- based non- renewable plastic product that is often not recycled because it is contaminated by the time it is disposed. : Unless it is recycled it breaks down in the environment and contributes to environmental toxins outlined in 2.3 of this paper. 6.2 Introduce 100% recyclable natural fibre (jute or hemp see NOTE 1) shopping bags. See for example Albury Shopping Bags (( or bags/jute- shopper- bag.html and Ecobags ( Other companies can be sourced by Googling jute or hemp shopping bags New Zealand. Advantages : very durable and cost effective. : can be branded to promote business or reinforce consumer s good behaviour : contributes to changing consumer behaviour towards packaging : 100% biodegradable and made from a 100% renewable resources Disadvantages : more expensive that NWPP green bags 6.3 Introduce 100% compostable shopping bags made from potato or other vegetable starch 6.4 Added option introduce compostable potato starch food containers for takeaway and packaged items such as hot drinks and meats. See NOTE 2 next page. These bags are visually and practically identical to the current plastic bags, while the food containers are also similar in appearance to current containers. See for example: biodegradable- plastic- shopping- bags.htm. 11

12 Advantages : 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable they can be thrown into a compost bin and will fully degrade within weeks : or they can be safely fed to the birds or fish. : Does not require consumers to change their habits. The bags and containers appear identical to oil- based plastics : The food containers cost much the same as current plastic and plasticized food containers : Microwavable without releasing toxins commonly releases when microwaving plastics : Retains heat (eg coffee cups or food bowls) : The company is based in Blenheim Disadvantages : Shopping bags are considerably more expensive than HDTP singlet type bags. : They cater to the throw away disposable mindset rather than changing consumer behaviour 6.5 Other options Manufacture you own alternatives to green bags by sewing bags from unwanted materials such as curtains and remnants. Can be used as a revenue raiser for the schools or local charities. Patterns and processes can be seen here: o bag/ o bag- ideas- free- patterns/ o reusable- grocery- bags- totes- free- patterns/ Consider recycling and manufacturing plastic pages as a fundraising project. Plastic bags have been converted into multiple products using nothing more than an iron and sewing machine plus some imagination: o o Consider crocheting plastic bags into string shopping bags c82vmo&feature=endscreen&nr=1 12

13 7.0 Challenges 7.1 Cost The single greatest challenge to phasing out plastic bags and plastic food containers is the short- term cost. While the price of compostable food containers would seem to be about the same prices as current polystyrene units, this no doubt will depend on the number of units purchased. The cost of singlet style potato starch carry bags is approximately 4-6 times the cost of plastic equivalent. Polystyrene green bags range in price, the cheapest being just over $1 per bag with a custom logo, subject to a minimum purchase of 5,000 bags. The long- term savings from reduced landfill and reduced risk of flooding and subsequent associated financial losses cannot be assessed to determine a comparative dollar value. There is strong anecdotal evidence to suggest that the true cost of plastic bags is considerably greater than their current market value. You might contact SIFT, a Canterbury based Sustainable Initiatives Fund that provides financial assistance to innovative waste minimisation projects, to discuss possible funding options: or phone or Buy in In spite of the true economic, environmental, and social costs cost of plastic shopping bags, changing consumer behaviour is not an easy task and may meet resistance. This can be overcome through community education and a phase- in period that is well advertised. Equally vital is changing the attitude and behaviour of retail staff. While the owners and/or managers of businesses may support the use of plastic bag alternatives, staff also need to be equally supportive. When shopping in Rangiora supermarkets for example, my personal experience is that checkout staff automatically begin to fill plastic NOTE 2 There is a difference between biodegradable bags such as plastic looking bags seen, for example, at and fully compostable bags such as that described in 6.3 and 6.4. Biodegradable bags use a petroleum- based polymer that eventually biodegrades. It is not compostable. The complete definitions of bioplastics are as follows: Compostable plastic: A plastic that undergoes biological degradation during the composting process (up to 2-3 months in a windrow) to yield carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds and biomass at a rate consistent with other known compostable materials and leaves no visually distinguishable or toxic residues. Biodegradable plastic: A degradable plastic in which the degradation must result from the action of naturally occurring microorganisms over a period of time (up to 2-3 years in a landfill). Degradable plastic: An oil based plastic containing a chemical additive that undergoes significant change in its chemical structure causing it to break down into smaller particles. The degradation process is triggered only when material is exposed to specific environmental conditions (such as UV, heat and moisture). Residues are not food matter for microorganisms and are not biodegradable or compostable 13

14 bags with groceries without bothering to check if customers have their own bags. Staff can display irritation at using green bags provided as these do not readily fit the space provided, and commonly insist on inserting items into plastic bags before packing then into green bags. Staff do no actively offer green bags as an alternative although they sell them at checkouts, and some can display impatience when asked for green bags not available at their counter, such as cooler bags. Indeed, the entire experience can leave consumers feeling that green bags are an inconvenience, and fighting a concerted battle against having unwanted plastic bags thrust on them. In short, educating staff is crucial. The aim is inspire green peer pressure rather than plastic bag peer pressure. Conclusion Several communities in New Zealand have successfully implemented programmes to make the transition from plastic shopping bags to more sustainable alternatives, without relying on legislation. Using a combination of options suggested in this document, there is every reason to believe Waiau can continue this trend to become plastic shopping bag free. It would certainly be a coup for Waiau to be the first community in the Hurunui District to achieve this, complying with the Council s active policy to minimise waster, spurring other towns to follow and potentially paving the way for a district- wide movement. 14