[(Title)] Coles backs down on plastic bag ban, will hand out thicker bags as customers 'need more time'.

Coles will continue handing out plastic bags for free in its stores indefinitely, bowing to customer pressure and saying shoppers "need more time to make the transition to reusable bags".

科尔斯超市屈服于顾客的压力，将继续无限期地在其店内分发免费塑料袋，并表示消费者“需要更多时间适应可重复使用的购物袋”。

Most state governments in Australia have banned thin single-use bags, and the supermarket giant pledged to phase them out from July 1.

澳大利亚大多数州政府已经禁止了较薄的一次性塑料袋，超市巨头曾承诺从7月1日起逐步淘汰这种塑料袋。

Now, thicker reusable bags which had previously cost 15 cents each will be handed out for free.

以前售价为0.15澳元一个材质较厚可重复使用的塑料袋，现在将免费分发。

That decision has annoyed environmental groups, who warned the reusable bags are worse for the environment if they are discarded into waterways and habitats.

这一决定惹怒了一些环保组织，他们警告称，倘若这些可重复使用的袋子被丢弃到水道和生态环境中，将对环境更加有害。

"Some customers told us they needed more time to make the transition to reusable bags," a Coles spokesperson said.

科尔斯超市发言人说：“一些客户告诉我们，他们需要更多的时间来转向可重复使用的塑料袋。”

"We've been delighted to see customers grow more accustomed to bringing their reusable bags from home so they are relying less on complimentary bags at the checkout."

“我们很高兴看到顾客们更习惯从家里带来可再用的袋子，所以在支票上可以看到他们减少购买超市塑料袋。”

Every state and territory except New South Wales has either outlawed single-use plastic bags, or has plans to ban them.

除新南威尔士州和地区外，每个州和地区都禁止单用塑料袋，或者计划禁止塑料袋。

Coles and rival Woolworths last year announced plans to phase out single-use plastic bags.

去年科尔斯超市和竞争对手沃尔沃斯超市宣布计划逐步淘汰单用塑料袋。

Woolworths had been giving out an estimated 3.2 billion lightweight plastic bags annually.

沃尔沃斯超市每年大约发放约32亿个轻质塑料袋。

"Many customers bringing bags from home are still finding themselves short a bag or two so we are offering complimentary reusable Better Bags to help them complete their shopping," the Coles spokesperson said.

科尔斯发言人说：“许多从家里拿行李的客户仍然发现自己缺一到两个袋子，因此我们提供可重用的优质袋子，以帮助他们完成采购。”

Environmental lobby group Greenpeace said Coles' decision was bad for the planet.

环保游说团体绿色和平组织(Greenpeace)表示，科尔斯超市的决定对全球不利。

"Coles have caved in far too quickly to a small but vocal minority and there is absolutely no doubt Coles will be punished for this decision by customers who don't want to see plastic bags littering their beaches and killing marine life,

" Australia Pacific campaigner Zoe Deans said.

澳大利亚和太平洋环境活动人士佐伊·迪恩斯（Zoe Deans）说道：“科尔斯向一小部分不满禁令的人屈服得过快，但毫无疑问的是，科尔斯将因为这一决定而收到消费者的惩罚。”

Single-use plastic bags take years to break down, and many end up in the environment polluting oceans, rivers and beaches.

一次性塑料袋需要几年的时间才能分解，许多塑料袋最终会污染海洋、河流和海滩。

However, if reusable plastic bags reach the oceans and other habitats, they could cause as much if not more damage than single-use bags currently do.

但是，如果可重复使用的塑料袋到达海洋和其他栖息地，它们可能会造成比目前使用的一次性袋子更大的损害。

That is because they take longer to break down.

这是因为他们需要花更长的时间才能降解。

"This decision makes a complete mockery of Coles' claim to want to reduce plastic waste and is a betrayal of the millions of their customers who want the supermarket to do the right thing in favour of a vocal minority," Ms Deans said.

迪恩斯女士说：“这一决定彻底打脸了科尔斯想减少塑料废物的说法，是对数以百万计的顾客的背叛。”

"Removing the price means that these reusable bags are far more likely to be used once and discarded."

“取消价格意味着这些可重复使用的袋子更有可能被使用一次并丢弃。”

The controversy around plastic bags comes as customers attacked Coles for giving away toy plastic replicas of some of its grocery products last week.

关于塑料袋的争议来自顾客上周攻击科尔斯赠送一些杂货产品的玩具塑料复制品。

Coles is handing out a collectable range of 30 mini-products, from Vegemite jars to Tim Tams, as a promotion. It is also selling plastic-lined cases to store them in.

科尔斯推出30种可收藏的小型产品，从Vegemeitjars到TimTams，作为促销手段，还出售塑料箱将其存放在里面。