Some of Australia's supermarket chains are struggling with backlash from customers after introducing a ban on single-use plastic bags.
Australian media is describing the chain of events as "bag rage" after it was reported in Western Australia that one man strangled a supermarket worker.
Supermarkets across the country are putting on more staff to cope with helping customers getting used to the change.
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The removal of single-use plastic bags is part of a nationwide push to reduce waste in Australia. A similar movement is being proposed for New Zealand. Retailers in all but two states across Australia will be fined if they supply single-use plastic bags as of July 1.
Foodstuffs NZ's Antoinette Laird told Newshub the supermarket chain is working towards ousting single use plastic bags in New Zealand, however she doesn't believe Kiwis will witness the same degree of customer frustration seen in Australia.
"New World has given away in excess of two million long-life reusable bags to help customers get into better habits and we’ve supported the nationwide and online BagsNot.org.nz campaign which is designed to help people transition," she said.
"We’re trialling alternatives for people caught short without their reusable bags in selected New World, PAK'nSAVE and Four Square stores, which have been met with great enthusiasm from our customers."
Woolworths banned single-use plastic bags in Australia on June 20, and plans to move away from single-use bags by the end of 2018 in its New Zealand Countdown stores. Ten Countdown supermarkets have already gone completely plastic bag-free in New Zealand, the company announced.
But Woolworths was forced to backtrack on charging customers 15 Australian cents for a reusable plastic bag after several customer complaints, and will now offer them for free until July 8.
Supermarket chain Coles, which removed single-use plastic bags from its Australian stores on Sunday, said it would open every checkout lane to reduce queuing lengths as staff explain the changes to customers.
"While we understand that some customers may be frustrated by this change, there is absolutely no excuse for abusive or violent behaviour towards retail staff," said Gerard Dwyer, national secretary of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association.
In June, 12 international and New Zealand-based businesses - including New Zealand's largest grocery chains Foodstuffs and Countdown - signed a declaration to tackle plastic waste in New Zealand by 2025.
But Greenpeace warned that the announcement was an "industry-led false solution for tackling the scourge of plastic pollution in our oceans".
Greenpeace said commitments on making plastic packaging recyclable and compostable will do little to turn the tide on plastic pollution, and that companies and government need to focus on reductions and eliminations of single-use plastics production if they are serious about tackling this issue.
More than 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the world's oceans each year, according to United Nations Environment Programme figures.
Newshub.
