In its submission on the Government's proposed ban, the council has asked all plastic shopping bags be included.
The submission was approved at the economic development committee meeting on Tuesday, but not all councillors supported the inclusion of biodegradable and compostable plastic bags.
Cr Lee Vandervis said he would have supported the submission had it not included biodegradable and compostable bags.
Councillors voted 9 to 1 to support the submission.
Cr Vandervis said it was short-sighted and technophobic to include plant-based bags which were widely used in other parts of the world, such as Europe.
But council solid waste senior strategy and policy officer Catherine Irvine said New Zealand did not have the technical capabilities to dispose of biodegradable and compostable plastics correctly yet, which was why they were included.
Cr Aaron Hawkins said the question of how to define plastic was legitimate, but it was not the end of the world if people had to use a more sustainable type of bag to carry their groceries in the future.
In its submission, the council said any ban would have a greater impact on those earning lower incomes and it was important that was mitigated.
A plastic shopping bag ban would help Dunedin achieve its goal of becoming a zero waste city, the submission said.
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Zero waste? What about broken electronics, dead batteries, old clothes, Cardboard boxes from consumer goods, broken furniture and waste from the many local business etc. Where and how are they going to recycle that.
Biodegradable plastics, such as PLA, would that not compost in land fill?
Get on board with Cargill Enterprises and let us put plastic bags with our recycling then, DCC.
You've still got potato chip, frozen goods, bread, some chocolate/muesli bars, courier bags and other sorts of bags that'll still end up in the landfill from people who can't be bothered taking them to a drop off point.
What is the definition of 'single use plastic bags'? the supermarket bags are not single use, people take them home and use them again.
Rtn2Dun, does it really matter if it's single or twice use when it lasts in the environment for another fifty years?
IMHO Yes it does, because they are trying to fool us all. What else have they lied about? cycle lanes, Bus services, Budgets, costs of Council Morning teas, Theft of Council cars. The bags that break down are just as bad if not worse they too break down and are in the environment with micro beads sooner with the help of chemicals so they will be get into the environment sooner. Its a money making scam for businesses to charge for bags.