The only state in Australia that runs a cash-back for bottles and cans scheme has now acted to phase out single use plastic shopping bags beginning on the first of January, 2009.
“I congratulate the South Australian government for taking a leadership position on plastic bags.
“With approximately 5 billion of these bags being used and disposed of each year in this country, it makes sense to fast track the use of durable, re-usable bags,” said Upper House Greens MP Ian Cohen.
“A plastic bag levy would discourage the use of disposable bags, but an outright ban is much better.
“Industry and the supermarkets will complain, but a year or two on from the ban taking effect, people will be used to taking their own bags to the shops; the social ecology will have changed and it simply won’t be an issue. It is tried and tested in our grand parents’ day.
“While we’re still waiting for some leadership in NSW on waste issues like container deposit and progress on e-waste, South Australia has clearly demonstrated that states can set the agenda, if they have the political will. Good to see that they have seized the moment and are moving beyond the inertia displayed here in NSW.
“NSW uses the excuse of waiting for a national regulatory approach to absolve them from action. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth are engaged in legislative buck passing about constitutional powers to implement waste reforms on plastic bags and beverage containers.
“At least 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles are killed each year every year in the marine environment by plastic litter. After an animal is killed by plastic bags its body decomposes and the plastic is released back into the environment where it can kill again.
“If South Australia can get rid of the plastic bag, why can’t we?” asked Mr Cohen.
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