SA continues push for plastic bags ban
23/6/2006

South Australia continues to lead the push for a phasing out of single-use plastic shopping bags nationally by the end of 2008.

 

Speaking after today’s Environment Protection and Heritage Council meeting in Sydney, Environment and Conservation Minister, Gail Gago said all states had adopted a South Australian proposal to develop a national regulatory approach within the two and a half year time frame.

 

“SA first put this on the national agenda back in 2002, and since then we’ve taken the lead with our decision to ban plastic bags in our state by December 31, 2008,” Minister Gago said.

 

“There’s strong consumer support in SA for a ban, which the state government believes is necessary to stop the damage plastic bags are doing to our environment and to protect our wildlife.

 

“A ban is a once off solution which aims to take single use plastic bags out of circulation in our state, but we want to see a consistent approach as to how the phase out can be achieved nationally.

 

“Today, the states reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to the phase out and agreed to our proposal to continue work on nationally consistent regulatory options including a ban, a government levy, an advanced disposal fee and a retailer’s charge on bags,” Minister Gago said.

 

“The Council also called for retailers to continue to work to meet bag reduction targets and to sign up to the National Packaging Covenant.

 

“Since 2002, the number of single use plastic bags in circulation in Australia has fallen by more than 34%. This has resulted in a drop of more than 2 billion plastic bags ending up in landfill.

 

“Plastic bags can take up to 100 years to break down, but not only are they ending up in landfill, they’re also finding their way into stormwater, rivers and streams and floating out to sea, where they are killing our marine creatures and birds.

 

“South Australia has traditionally led the way in environmental reform, with our progressive container deposit legislation lauded nationally,” Minister Gago said.

 

“The state government is determined to ban plastic bags, but we want to do it in the most efficient way possible, so that we limit the impact on South Australians and small businesses are not disrupted.

 

“That’s why we have set up the ten member Plastic Bag Phase Out Taskforce to work with Zero Waste SA to guide the introduction of the ban at the end of 2008,” Minister Gago said.