Auckland, 3 May 2018.

New research reveals baby boomers up to 50% more likely to take own bags when they shop.

The damage we’re doing to our environment through our love of single-use bags has been front and centre of recent drives to get us to reduce our plastic waste. Research published today by Canstar Blue reveals that the message is getting through and it’s our older generation that’s leading the way in taking up tote bag.

Canstar Blue’s Emma Quantrill comments:

“There’s been a huge change in the mindset of consumers in a relatively short amount of time. This time last year only 28% of the people we asked agreed that they should be charged for plastic bags, but now, our research results suggest we are moving past the debate and into action. 63% of baby boomers told us they now take their own bags with them when they do their grocery shopping, 55% of Gen Xers do and last, but still with a pretty respectable 41%, our Gen Yers (18-40yrs).

“It looks like initiatives such as the celebrity endorsed ‘Bags Not’ campaign, have really caught people’s attention and consumers are now starting to actively think about their use of plastic bags.”

Plastic bag free
It has been estimated that Kiwis use in excess of 1.6 billion non-bio-degradable plastic bags every year but the problems associated with single use plastic bags are not just a New Zealand issue. On an international scale, many countries have already taken measures to either ban or attach levies to plastic bags. Countries to already take action include (but not limited to):

Supermarkets doing their bit
2017 and 2018 winner of the Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customers Award, New World is one of the major partners of the aforementioned Bags Not. Talking about the role they play in reducing New Zealand’s plastic waste and accepting the Award for New World, Steve Bayliss, Group General Manager Marketing said:

“Last year New World started the debate around plastic bags, and New Zealanders overwhelmingly confirmed their desire to get rid of single-use plastic.

“We knew it was a mammoth task. Simply banning the bag is a relatively mechanical process, and not too hard to achieve, however the real trick is in helping our customers make the adjustment. We needed to help New Zealanders adapt and one way to get their attention and bring the change front of mind was via ‘Bags Not’.

The message is simple; Refuse, Replace, Recycle, Reuse, Restore. So, in a nutshell it’s about cutting back on the amount of plastic we use to we can return our beautiful country, and it’s oceans, back to their former glory. We all have a part to play, retailers and consumers alike.”

Most Satisfied Customers
When it comes to being satisfied with our supermarkets, consumers know what they want.

Value for money, customer service, variety, layout, specials and freshness of produce all rated pretty evenly, showing that supermarket’s have got to deliver the whole package (obviously not wrapped in plastic!) in order to keep consumers satisfied.

With stores from Invercargill in the South to Kerikeri in the North, New World recorded a maximum five stars in four out of the six categories, as well as taking the ultimate customer satisfaction award.

For further information regarding this survey, please click here.

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