Counsellors and psychologists are seeing an increase in patients presenting with plastic-triggered anxiety - particularly young and environmentally conscious Kiwis. Clinical psychologist Jackie Feather was "aware of particularly young people developing plastic anxiety" and Anxiety New Zealand Trust has seen an increase in people seeking assistance for environmental related anxiety in the past year. Ged Cann/Stuff Roughly 100 supporters turn up to witness the handover of a 65,000-strong petition calling for a ban on plastic bags to parliament. She compared plastic anxiety to "existential anxiety" like previous generations' fears of nuclear war. The "exhausted" university student sought advice from the Zero Waste in NZ Facebook group and was met with more than 100 comments from people also experiencing plastic anxiety.

Source: Stuff November 16, 2019 15:56 UTC