A global movement to dramatically reduce plastic waste has been embraced by local retailers, which encourages consumers to reduce their plastic footprint.
This year’s theme for International Plastic Bag Free Day, which was marked yesterday, was "Beat Plastic Pollution" and dedicated to heightening awareness on issues brought about by disposable carrier bags, which take anything between 100 to 500 years to decay.
According to the Two Oceans Aquarium, plastic, which is also finding its way into oceans, is doing so at an alarming rate. They said scientists are predicting that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean, by weight, than fish.
The V&A Waterfront is running a week-long campaign encouraging shoppers to bring 10 single-use plastic shopping bags and get a reusable bag in return.
“The Two Oceans Aquarium, which has been running its Rethink the Bag environmental campaign for more than seven years, applauds this active effort by the V&A Waterfront and we’ll be there to support it in force,” said Hayley McLellan, environmental campaigner for the Two Oceans Aquarium.
At SPAR supermarket stores throughout the Western Cape and Namibia yesterday there were no plastic bags were on sale.
SPAR has invested in a campaign over the past four years aimed at reducing the use of plastic bags.
As one of the biggest retailers in the Eastern Cape, SPAR launched an initiative in April to urge customers to consider alternative packaging options.
In 2013, the Shoprite Group introduced shopping bags made from 100% recycled plastic in its Checkers stores.
Last month, its private label Zip Cola bottle was named Recycled Product of the Year at the 2018 PETCO Awards, the industry’s biggest celebration of recycling and waste management excellence.
Zip Cola is the first carbonated soft drink sold in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles of which 25% is produced from post-consumer waste.
In addition to its commitment to reduce waste in its everyday operations, the Shoprite Group is taking further action by staging Africa’s biggest clean-up event from July 14 to 18.
More than 6000 people in nine countries were expected to participate in almost 500 events to remove waste from communities. In doing so, the group hopes to launch a movement of active citizens who act for change by cleaning and keeping clean public areas, the group said.
Pick * Pay yesterday ran a one-day trial of compostable bags as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bags.
The bags replaced all plastic carrier bags, barrier bags and fruit and vegetable bags with compostable bags made from starches, cellulose, vegetable oils and combinations.
The “not made from plastic” carrier bags were given free to customers on the day.
Cardboard boxes were also piloted with customers - at R5 per box - as another alternative to plastic carrier bags.
Pick n Pay chairperson Gareth Ackerman said its War on Waste has seen them process four to five tons of food waste per day through its partnership with Waste to Food, and donate about 2000 tons of excess edible food to FoodForward each year.
“Much progress has been made since 2003 to encourage customers to move away from single-use plastic carrier bags, but much more needs to be done.
"Sustainable solutions require all parties involved - retailers, government, plastic manufacturers, consumers and recyclers - to work together collaboratively - and well beyond plastic bags to all forms of waste,” Ackerman said.