Greenpeace believes we're at a crisis point with plastics and it's time we turned the tides.
This year's Earth Day theme is ending plastics pollution, and pressure is mounting on corporations to move away from the material.
Greenpeace campaigner Elena di Palma says marine life is depending on it.
"One in three turtles that have washed up dead on New Zealand beaches have ingested plastic. It's at a point now where we need to ensure that we're going to take actions that make a significant difference."
- Could this be the answer to plastic waste?
- Microplastics 'ubiquitous' in bottled water - report
- Oriental Bay has some of the world's worst plastic pollution - study
Ms di Palma says turning the heat on corporations who use plastics, could make a massive difference.
"Also Governments and their responsibility to regulate to ensure that we're not just using an endless amount of plastic that ultimately ends up in our ocean."
Supermarkets in recent months have made moves away from plastic bags, but Ms di Palma says it's far from enough.
"If you go into a supermarket it's not just the plastic bags - it's fruit and veges that are wrapped in plastic, the endless products that are wrapped in unnecessary plastics."
- UK scientists produce enzyme that eats plastic
- Government rubbishes National's concern over ocean plastic
- Greenpeace's advice on how to avoid using plastic bin bags
Anti-plastic bag group Bags Not claims Kiwis use 1.6 billion single-use plastic bags a year - about 350 each.
Countdown and New World supermarkets have announced they'll go plastic bag-free by the end of 2018.
Pak'nSave doesn't have plans to ban them just yet, but has for years charged 10c for each one.
Newshub.
