Sandton City to ban plastic bags from 2020
SANDTON – Liberty Two Degrees, which owns various malls around Johannesburg, will implement a no plastic bag policy from 1 January 2020.
A ‘no plastic bag’ policy will be implemented at Sandton City by the beginning of next year in order to meet national and international sustainability goals.
Retail property group Liberty Two Degrees, which owns malls such as Sandton City, Eastgate Shopping Centre, Nelson Mandela Square, and Melrose Arch, will be implementing a ‘no plastic shopping bags’ policy across its malls by 1 January next year.
The company has a vision of a Net Zero sustainability target by 2030, which sees the reduction of usage of energy and water as well as an efficient waste management system. Amelia Beattie, chief executive of Liberty Two Degrees, said, “Plastic pollution is already a crisis and we need to avoid the chain reaction of unravelling ecosystems. The only choice we have is to create transformational targets and actions. We have therefore undertaken this bold step to implement a ‘no plastic shopping bags’ policy across our malls to ensure that change starts with us.”
As part of its commitment, the company has partnered with an Alexandra community-based organisation called Bana Bags to introduce plastic free bags into its centres to ensure the continuation of education to encourage sustainable and environmentally friendly ways of doing business. They have also already initiated the introduction of recycling drop-off booths in Sandton City and at Eastgate Shopping Centre and will be rolling this out throughout the portfolio.
“With rising levels of plastic pollution in our country and oceans, it is no longer a case of best practice to eradicate the use of plastic shopping bags but rather a commitment of paramount importance and necessity. We are committed to implementing this initiative to drive our sustainability imperative. The policy will be effective 1 January 2020 and as a sector benchmark, we are keen to continue to transform the retail industry in an environmentally sustainable manner,” Beattie concluded.
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