Fiji Fuel Retailers Association pledges to reduce 1 million plastic bags

The Fiji Fuel Retailers Association has pledged to reduce one million plastic bags across 75 service stations nationwide.

The Fiji Fuel Retailers Association Secretary John Philp says 75 fuel service stations around the country will introduce the governments ten cents levy on single use plastic bags from the 1st of next month.

Philp says to mark the progressive introduction of the plastic bag levy, the service stations are taking up a collective challenge to go further by asking customers to bring a bag or hand carry purchases to the car.

He says fuel retailers are targeting over 170,000 licensed drivers as well as walk in customers who utilize the convenience stores located at fuel service stations.

Philp says into the future, the fuel retailers are also exploring options to introduce recycling points in order to reduce the amount of single use plastic products which end up in our rivers and ocean.

He says under the Environment Levy Budget Amendment Act 2017, the ten cents levy is payable by a customer when provided a plastic bag from retailers that use a Point of Sale system and will be reflected on invoices and receipts.

Philp says the retailers are required to then transfer the levy monthly to the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service separately from the service turnover and value added tax.