Retail group deflates plastic bag tax 

Retailers say there is no need to follow Australia's example and put a tax on plastic shopping bags in a bid to reduce their use.

Australia recently announced it will be introducing a tax on these bags this year, while China has decided to ban them as of June 1.

China reportedly uses up to three billion plastic bags a day and the country has to refine five million tonnes of crude oil every year to make plastics used for packaging.

But Retailers' Association spokesman Barry Hellberg says plastic bags represent a very small portion of New Zealand's waste problem.

He says plastic bags represent less than 0.2% of the waste stream and there are far more important environmental issues out there to worry about than plastic bags.

Hellberg says initiatives the industry has put in place to get people to say no to plastic bags are working.

Nevertheless, an estimated billion plastic bags are used each year in New Zealand supermarkets alone.

In response, Progressive Enterprises does not give bags to customers buying three items or less although if people still want a bag they will get one. When it started the practice in June last year it said it was saving one million bags a week.

Hardware chain Bunnings has also banned plastic bags although does offer them at 10 cents each, with proceeds going to the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Campaign.

The town of Collingwood in Golden Bay has banned plastic bags although no New Zealand city has taken up the challenge yet.