Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall has added his support to a call on the Government to impose a national levy on single-use plastic bags.
In May, Wellington mayor Justin Lester, supported by the mayors of Auckland and Dunedin, launched an open letter to Associate Minister for the Environment Scott Simpson asking for the levy to be introduced, or for the power for local councils to regulate retailers themselves.
"It's no longer good enough to continue to derogate the environment for the sake of convenience. We each have to take small actions for change. These individual actions will collectively build momentum and turn things around," Mr McDouall said.
"I look forward to a future where plastic bags are no longer taken for granted at the supermarket checkout and where everyone in the community has been part of that change.
"A compulsory levy at the point of sale is eminently doable and would make all the difference."