PHOTO
A nationwide ban on single-use plastic bags is unlikely to affect Dunedin's black plastic rubbish bags.
As part of its review of the city's waste management, the Dunedin City Council is considering phasing out the bags.
The issue was highlighted during a council infrastructure services and networks committee meeting yesterday.
Cr Christine Garey asked council waste and environmental group manager Chris Henderson what impact the ban would have on the city's waste collection.
There was unlikely to be any impact, as it appeared the ban would only apply to single-use shopping bags, Mr Henderson said.
The ban would likely help remove a significant amount of soft plastic from the city's recycling, which was not able to be processed, he said.
Benefits of stopping the use of the rubbish bags included less plastic ending up in the landfill and preventing animals damaging the easily-pierced plastic, he said.
As there were areas of the city, such as the central business district, where rubbish and recycling bins were not practical, it was not as easy discontinuing the bags all together, Mr Henderson said.
"A lot of businesses don't have space to leave bins out on the footpath so we need to look at solutions which would work everywhere in the city.''