New Zealand has become the world’s first country to expand its ban on plastic bags in supermarkets to thin bags, which are typically used to hold fruits or vegetables.
The move, which took effect on Saturday, is part of a wider government campaign against single-use plastics.
“New Zealand produces too much waste, too much plastic waste,” Associate Environment Minister Rachel Brooking said.
She added more than one billion plastic bags had been saved since the ban on thicker bags took effect in 2019.
Critics have raised concerns that shoppers may just place groceries in disposable paper bags, which are still available in supermarkets.
In October, it proposed taxing the greenhouse gases produced by farm animals like sheep and cattle.
The world’s first scheme will see farmers paying for agricultural emissions in some form by 2025.
Read More Here: New Zealand bans plastic bags for fresh produce in supermarkets
