$100,000 fine for giving out a free plastic bag!

Stuff reports:

Businesses caught handing out plastic bags to customers after July 1 could face six-figure fines.
The Government announced in August plans to phase out single-use plastic shopping bags, later opting for a ban after feedback that included 9000 submissions.
Ministry for the Environment documents confirm rule-breakers could be fined up to $100,000, depending on the seriousness of the offence.  

Only a $100,000 fine? No jail time? Surely giving a shopper a bag to hold their groceries in merits prison time. I mean this is a heinous crime.

At home we have almost run out of the plastic bags we used to get the shopping in, which we of course use as bin liners. So in a few weeks we’ll have to start buying bin liners.