News

The major Aussie stores that aren’t implementing plastic bag ban

Jun 30, 2018

The plastic bag ban has angered many Australians, but more stores are to banish the bags this weekend. Source: Getty

From Sunday, even more stores around Australia are set to implement a plastic bag ban, meaning customers will either be charged to purchase a bag from stores or bring their own from home when shopping.

As you’ll recall, Woolworths initially implemented its ban on single-use plastic bags last week and advised customers they could purchase bags at a cost between 15 cents and $2. The move angered many shoppers, with Woolworths on Friday explaining they would be handing out free bags for 10 days to help customers transition to the changes.

“Since we phased out single-use plastic bags nationwide on the 20th of June some customers have told us that getting into the habit of bringing their own reusable bags has been a challenge,” Woolworths Supermarkets’ Managing Director Claire Peters told Starts at 60 in a statement.

“While some customers have forgotten their reusable bags altogether, many have done the right thing and brought their own only to end up one or two reusable bags short. We’ve listened to these customers and heard they just want a little extra help from us to get through the transition to a more sustainable and greener way of shopping.”

Woolworths customers will have until July 8 to take up the offer. Meanwhile, Big W is set to roll out its single-use ban from Sunday but like Woolies, will offer the 15 cent bags to customers for free until July 8 to help customers adjust.

Cost of Woolworths Plastic Bags — Woolworths customers are angry that they’re being forced to pay for plastic bags. Source: Starts at 60

“We understand we’re asking our customers to modify their shopping behaviour to a new, more environmentally-friendly way of bringing their BIG W shopping home,” Big W said in a statement. “So, if your usual routine is to pack away your reusable bags with the shopping, think about putting them back into the car straight away so the next time you come into BIG W, and you’ll be ready.”

IGA supermarkets and Coles will also introduce its ban on Sunday, although Coles stores will open every checkout to customers to help them adjust.

“To minimise disruption to our customers and help them with the transition to no single-use plastic bags, all checkouts will be open in Coles stores between 10am and 6pm on Sunday 1 July,” a spokesman told 9 News. “In addition to this, from Monday 2 July through to Sunday 8 July, we will open extra checkouts in states where bags will be removed for the first time.”

As for Kmart and Target, it doesn’t look like they’re ready to give up their bags just yet. Bags will remain in stores across Victoria and New South Wales beyond Sunday, with Newscorp reporting they may not impose the bans until 2019. It comes after Target had previously banned single-use bags in the past, only to bring them back after customers were outraged at the 10-cent cost per bag they were forced to pay.

Plastic Bag ban — Some Kmart and Target stores across the country will continue to provide customers with single-use plastic bags. Source: WikiCommons

“(Kmart and Target Australia) are committed to helping reduce the number of single-use plastic bags that end up in landfill each year,” a spokesperson told Newscorp. “That’s why, by 2019 we will have stopped providing single-use plastic bags in all our stores across Australia.”

At present, each state has different laws when it comes to plastic bags, with the ACT, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory already phasing out bags some time ago.