Countdown announces another 35 stores going plastic bag-free

Countdown says almost half of its supermarkets in New Zealand will have removed single-use plastic bags by September, today announcing another 35 stores are doing so.

The supermarket chain has already committed to not offering bags at 52 of its stores.

The company says that since it began its single-use plastic bag phase out in May, 11.5 million bags have been removed from circulation.

Countdown's initiative comes after the government announced a mandatory phase-out of single-use plastic bags over the next year.