Joan Goddard always remembers her reusable bags when she does her monthly supermarket shop.
Her Countdown 'Bag for Good' totes are a crucial part of her collection.
These were introduced in 2018 when single-use plastic bags were phased out, and they came with a promise.
They read: "If it wears out simply bring it back, we'll replace it for free."
This promise is where Goddard's quibble with Countdown arose. When her bag wore out, she approached a Countdown cashier for a replacement.
"She went to check with a supervisor and came back and said 'sorry, no, we're not doing it anymore'."
Goddard said Countdown had not lived up to their side of the Bag for Good bargain.
"For good means forever," she said.
What's the only thing better than a free repair or replacement? A bag that doesn't need to be replaced at all.
Kim Renshaw of Reuse Aotearoa is a proponent of reusable bags but she said the type of bag should be considered carefully by retailers.
"I think it would be the most responsible thing for a retailer to be providing bags that won't break in the first place," she said.
"What we really need are durable bags made of thoughtful materials, that are light on the planet, and light on emissions in terms of their construction."
She said she wasn't surprised Goddard's bag broke.
"Joan's bags are not reparable — they're not built to be reparable."
Renshaw said the bags are made from a woven polypropylene, which is "lightweight and not very robust in its construction".
So why would Countdown not replace Goddard's bag? Simply put, they've run out.
"We've been steadily running down stock of our black Bag for Good totes for a few months now and have no more stock left," a spokesperson said.
Instead, a new tote bag made in China from 70% recycled materials has taken their place.
Unlike the Bags for Good, these new totes will not be replaced for free if they break.
Countdown will replace any broken Bag for Good totes in-store with the new look bag — but only once.
The old bags may no longer be here for good, but their replacements are here for better or worse.
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