Wellington  - New Zealand's biggest retail variety chain, The Warehouse, will start charging 10 New Zealand cents (about 5 US cents) for plastic shopping bags next month to protect the environment, according to news reports Wednesday.

The company, which has 128 variety and discount stationery stores, says it wants to take 20 million bags out of circulation in the next year.

The Warehouse, which is New Zealand's biggest footwear and music retailer, said that surveys at four trial stores revealed that 85 per cent of customers would not use plastic bags if they had to pay for them.

The stores will sell reusable shopping bags for 1 New Zealand dollar.

New Zealand has reduced the use of plastic bags by about 100 million a year since a number of retail chains signed a packaging accord to discourage them in 2004, the New Zealand Herald reported. (dpa)