（惠灵顿法新电）新西兰星期一（7月1日）正式禁止使用一次性塑料购物袋，商家若违例将面对重罚，包括可能被罚款高达10万新西兰元（约9万新元）。
塑料污染在全球日益受到关注。据估计，每年有100万只鸟和超过10万只海洋哺乳动物，因为被塑料包装困住或在摄取食物的过程中吞入塑料而受伤或死亡。
新西兰环境部长塞奇说：“新西兰的清洁、绿化声誉，令新西兰人感到骄傲。我们希望不辜负这个声誉，而停止使用一次性塑料购物袋就能做到。”
根据新条例，商家再也不能为顾客提供只能使用一次的薄塑料袋，但法律允许商家继续提供可重复使用的购物袋。
对新西兰人来说，这项新法对他们的实际影响不大，因为新西兰的大规模超级市场已经自愿停止使用一次性塑料购物袋。
塞奇接受新西兰电台节目访问时承认新禁令“做得远远不足够”，但她说新法的“重要性在于开启了相关的讨论。人们现在开始讨论一次性塑料产品以及该如何逐步淘汰它们”。
根据联合国环境署的统计，全球已有80多个国家禁止使用一次性塑料袋。
WELLINGTON (XINHUA) – Single-use plastic bags are officially banned for all New Zealand retailers from Monday (July 1).
As stipulated by the Waste Minimisation (Plastic Shopping Bags) Regulations 2018, which came into force on Monday, New Zealand retailers including stores, supermarkets and restaurants will no longer be able to sell or distribute any single-use plastic shopping bags.
Single-use plastic shopping bags are defined as any plastic bag which has handles and is less than 70 microns thick. Plastic shopping bags in the fruit and vegetable section and other areas of supermarkets are the only exceptions.
New Zealand Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage said that the ban on single-use plastic shopping bags is a step towards healthier oceans and giving nature a hand.
“New Zealanders are proud of our country’s clean, green reputation and want to help ensure we live up to it. The plastic shopping bag ban is one step to tackle New Zealand’s waste issues. We also need to recharge our materials recovery and recycling systems and shift to a circular economy,” Ms Sage said.
Mainstream supermarkets have already made the change away from single-use plastic shopping bags. Businesses were given six months ahead of the ban to phase-out single-use plastic bags.
Source: Zaobao / The Straits Times
