A nationwide ban on single-use plastic bags is unlikely to affect Dunedin's black plastic rubbish bags.
As part of its review of the city's waste management, the Dunedin City Council is considering phasing out the bags.
The issue was highlighted during a council infrastructure services and networks committee meeting yesterday.
Cr Christine Garey asked council waste and environmental group manager Chris Henderson what impact the ban would have on the city's waste collection.
There was unlikely to be any impact, as it appeared the ban would only apply to single-use shopping bags, Mr Henderson said.
The ban would likely help remove a significant amount of soft plastic from the city's recycling, which was not able to be processed, he said.
Benefits of stopping the use of the rubbish bags included less plastic ending up in the landfill and preventing animals damaging the easily-pierced plastic, he said.
As there were areas of the city, such as the central business district, where rubbish and recycling bins were not practical, it was not as easy discontinuing the bags all together, Mr Henderson said.
"A lot of businesses don't have space to leave bins out on the footpath so we need to look at solutions which would work everywhere in the city.''
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Comments
If ever a solution in an answer was side stepped this would have to be one and the worst possible example of saying ' I haven't got a clue really' with out saying that. I see the end is near of the councils having slopped shoulders and allowing 3rd parties to charge high rates for wheelie bins whilst still collecting a large portion of money for rates under the under the guise of the service 'Rubbish collection' lets sit back and watch Cull and councillors side step the issue as if they were trying out for the AB's and showing off the skills of how to sidestep. Cull and DCC its time to fund 3 x Wheelie bins for all houses, and those houses where a truck can't access the street a large locked bin at the end of the street. Suck it up and deal with it.
I fully support the ban on single use plastic bags and if the council will not support this, then I shall protest by putting all my household waste into the yellow bin. Council bin bags are single use bags, bad for the environment and need to be discontinued regardless of law changes.