Plastic shopping bags are set to be phased out by July 1 next year with 92 per cent of respondents to a public consultation agreeing they should be banned.
The ban applies to bags made from up to 70 microns in thickness including boutique-style shopping bags and the emergency bags at some supermarkets, which are an alternative to free single use bags.
It also includes degradable plastic regardless of whether the material is sourced from fossil-fuel or from plant-based sources.
Green MP Eugenie Sage says the ban will help improve the environment from preventing waste from entering the ocean.
“Plastic shopping bags are a hazard for nature, particularly marine wildlife. They can also introduce harmful microplastics into the food chain,” she said.
The phase out is part of the Government's programme to reduce waste in the country and comes after the removal of single use plastic bags from many supermarkets.
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