New Zealand: Z Energy puts a stop to plastic bags at service stations
New Zealand’s fuel retailer Z Energy will no longer give out single plastic bags from June 1, 2018.
Each year Z Energy handed out about 2.5 million plastic bags across its service station network. The retailer now wants to be part of the change and not the problem.
“It is estimated that on average a person uses a plastic bag for 12 minutes before discarding it, yet that same bag could take up to 1000 years to break down,” said Z Energy.
Phasing out plastic bags is part of a wider programme to tackle waste at Z service stations. They have just finished rolling out modular forecourt recycling bins at 115 Z sites.
“The plastic bag initiative, along with our other activities are about taking small steps which add up to giant strides. We have a long way to go, but we’re gaining momentum and don’t intend to stop anytime soon,” added the company in a release.
On International Plastic Bag Free Day in July 2017, a Z Energy retailer in New Zealand introduced a voluntary plastic bag levy to encourage customers to think twice before taking a bag.
