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Australia
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Star News Group, 1.17.07
The people of Cockatoo are being urged to swap plastic bags for more environmentally friendly alternatives. Cardinia Shire Council and Sustainability Victoria are joining forces with Cockatoo retailers to take up the challenge to make the town plastic bag- free. The people of Cockatoo are invited to join the campaign “Cockatoo: a plastic bag free town." Ranges Ward councillor Graeme Legge said that after the launch of the campaign, retailers will be urging their customers to say no to plastic bags. Cr Legge said people need to also make sure they remember to use their reusable bags whenever they shop in Cockatoo.
http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/33371
Adelaide Now, 12.7.06
South Australians lead the nation in their support for a ban on plastic bags, a Newspoll survey says.
Nine out of 10 people surveyed (91%) said they were in favour of a ban on plastic bags to help reduce landfill, damage to marine life and greenhouse pollution.
Legislation is being developed and there will be a consultation process.
news.com.au
barossa.yourguide.com.au, 9.28.05
Gawler mayor Tony Piccolo knows where to put his bread and groceries - right into his free Herald enviro bag.
Mayor Piccolo was delighted to be able to obtain his reusable Herald enviro bag and quickly put it to use at a shopping centre in Gawler.
"It is excellent the community is becoming more aware of the problems which can be caused by plastic bags," Mayor Piccolo said. "The Herald is to be complimented on giving away reusable bags to try and help the environment."
The Herald has joined Zero Waste SA, Recyclers of SA and KESAB Environmental Solutions to encourage communities to use less throw away plastic shopping bags by introducing the reusable Better Bag program in South Australia.
The Better Bag program is a community program that provides an opportunity for schools and community groups to reduce the impact of throw away plastic bags in their local environment.
The Herald obtained 5000 reusable bags to give away to readers and their popularity proved instantaneous. Many readers have already taken the opportunity to come in to the Herald office to pick up their free bag and businesses have also been quick to jump on board and held distribute the bags.
The good news is it is not too late but the bags are literally walking out the door.
http://barossa.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=lo
Scoop.co.nz (press release) - New Zealand, 8.17.05
Plastic bag-free Collingwood is absolutely brilliant
Collingwood's plastic bag-free declaration is absolutely brilliant, Parliament's waste-free campaigner Green MP Mike Ward says.
The Golden Bay Bag Ladies have campaigned for plastic bags to be banned from the Bay for some time, a call consistently supported by Nelson-based Mr Ward and Green Co-Leader Rod Donald, who joined them on their anti-bag action on Takaka Hill last New Years. All the retailers of Collingwood have now agreed to stop giving out plastic shopping bags and to offer reusable cloth bags instead. Yesterday Helen Clark and Damien O'Connor joined the Bag Ladies in declaring Collingwood the country's first plastic bag-free town.
"Succeeding in slashing plastic bag consumption by 50 percent across the whole of Golden Bay is an impressive achievement by the Bag Ladies, but Collingwood's new commitment is a first for New Zealand and a landmark in the campaign to cut the nation's waste mountain," Mr Ward says...
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0508/S00459.htm
Wodonga Border Mail, 4.15.05
Victorias peak green group has canned a voluntary plan to phase out plastic bags nationally and called instead for bans and levies...
…Under a plan unveiled at a national meeting of environment ministers in Darwin yesterday, Mr Thwaites said all retailers needed to be brought on board to phase out all unnecessary plastic shopping bags.
Major retailers had phase-out targets of 50 per cent by the end of this year and total phase-out by 2008, he said.
Under the Thwaites plan, levies would be considered if retailers failed to meet the targets.
Nevertheless, he noted a 10 cent levy on bags imposed by Victorian hardware chain Bunnings had resulted in a massive 73 per cent reduction in bag use.
Ms Henty said when Ireland introduced a 27 cent levy on plastic bags in 2002, use decreased by 90 per cent over a six month period…
http://www.bordermail.com.au/newsflow/pageitem?page_id=937122
Melbourne Herald Sun, 4.15.05
All shops - from milk bars to grocers - would be forced to phase out plastic bags under a plan to be unveiled by Environment Minister John Thwaites today.
Big stores and their shoppers had done well to cut back on plastic bags but more urgent action was needed, he said.
… levies had already produced good results -- with a 10c bag levy imposed by Bunnings reducing that chain's bag use by 73 per cent, or 21 million bags.
A report has estimated 4.7 billion plastic carry bags -- or 613 a household -- were used last year compared with almost 6 billion in 2000…
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,1284706
The Border Mail, 3.22.05
Many thousands of Australians have heard the environmental warnings and stopped using plastic shopping bags. But for many more, old, bad habits still die hard…
…New research results yesterday revealed plastic shopping bag usage in Australia fell 1.3 billion over the past year…
…“Supermarkets have done well to get Australians using millions of environmentally friendly green bags…
…“But too many fast food outlets, newsagents, pharmacies, liquor stores and other types of businesses are doing little or nothing to reduce plastic bag use.”…
http://www.bordermail.com.au/newsflow/pageitem?page_id=921444
The Australian, 3.11.05
Australians have cut their use of plastic bags by more than 20 per cent since 2002, with reusable green bags from supermarkets seen as the major factor.
Two new reports, one from Nolan ITU and the other from the Australian Retailers Association, both showed the number of bags issued by retailers had fallen significantly.
Nolan ITU estimated that 4.77 billion lightweight plastic carry bags - or 613 per household - were used during 2004 compared with 5.95 billion in 2002.
"Even though usage is still high, I congratulate supermarkets and consumers alike in their clear commitment to reducing their use of plastic bags." The government's Code of Practice Target for the Management of Plastic Bags aims to reduce plastic bag use by 50 per cent by the end of 2005.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,125
Scoop.co.nz - New Zealand, 1.3.05
...The Golden Bay Bag Ladies launched their Plastic Shopping Bag-Free Campaign on the top of Takaka Hill, welcoming visitors and returning residents with a free cloth bag. It is the start of a year-long programme of incentives and activities to re-educate shoppers to say NO to plastic shopping bags and to use eco-friendly alternatives such as bags made from cloth and recycled materials and cardboard boxes.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/AK0501/S00002.htm
Bayside Bulletin, 12.29.04
Biodegradable cornstarch bags will now be available on North Stradbroke Island as part of the community's bid to eradicate plastic bags...
http://redland.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=lo
The Age - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12.1.04
These days, plastic bags are bad and saving old-growth forests is good. Andrew Darby and Stephanie Peatling explore why only certain green issues enter the public conciousness.
Sorry! Article no longer available.
Sydney Morning Herald, 11.8.04
Something doesn't stack up with plastic bags and check-out staff, Christine Aldred writes. We all know that plastic bags choke dolphin...
Sorry! Article no longer available.
Sydney Morning Herald, 11.8.04
Something doesn't stack up with plastic bags and check-out staff, Christine Aldred writes. We all know that plastic bags choke dolphin...
Sorry! Article no longer available.
ABC Online - Australia, 10.27.04
Desert Knowledge Australia in Alice Springs says it is working on a program that it hopes will lead to a town ban on plastic bags.
Sorry! Article no longer available.
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia, 10.9.04
Birregurra, the old milling town between Colac and Lorne, does not look especially revolutionary. But this weekend it will break new ground, becoming the first town in Victoria to go plastic bag-free.
...Joe Habib, owner of the general store is the town's biggest user of plastic bags, giving out about 150 each week. He will now give customers paper bags or boxes, or alternatively, they can buy a calico bag with a print of the town's logo. Mr Habib said the alternatives would cost about an extra 20 cents each - a cost he is willing to absorb. He hopes that customers will re-use their bags over time.
Sorry! Article no longer available.
Reueters News Service, 8.1.04
SYDNEY (Reuters) - The tiny Australian seaside town of Huskisson, perched on the edge of glittering Jervis Bay and fringed by pristine national parks, has signed up for the global battle against the humble plastic bag.
The former whaling settlement, whose waters are a major draw for divers and dolphin watchers, is one of an increasing number of Australian towns to outlaw plastic bags and help slash the seven billion bags the country's 20 million people use each year.
Even remote Himalayan foothills are now strewn with thousands of plastic bags and in South Africa they have become such a common eyesore they are dubbed "roadside daisies"...
The Australian, 4.14.04
All states except Queensland are pushing for tougher measures against the use of plastic shopping bags - less than a year after signing off on a voluntary code to reduce their distribution by retailers.
Calls for a total ban are supported by Western Australia, NSW and South Australia. Tasmania will back such a ban if it gets the support of most states, while Victoria wants a national levy imposed to cut use.
Only the Queensland and federal governments are satisfied with the status quo.
Sorry! Article no longer available.
The Daily Telegraph, 3.6.04
SHOPPERS in NSW will soon have to pay for plastic bags or take their own when they buy groceries.
Premier Bob Carr yesterday said that under a new policy, supermarkets will have to charge shoppers for plastic bags or he would ban them altogether.
Mr Carr said if agreement on a ban or financial penalty on plastic bags could not be reached between all states, NSW would go it alone.
Sorry! Article no longer available.
GreenBiz.com, 3.4.04
CANBERRA, Australia, March 3, 2004 - Supermarkets are on track to achieving a 25% reduction in plastic bag use by the end of this year, according to Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Dr. David Kemp.
"I'm delighted to say that supermarkets have responded magnificently to Governments' challenge to slash the number of plastic bags they issue," Dr. Kemp said.
"The major supermarkets have cut plastic bag use by more than 200 million in the past year and consumers right around the country are also doing their bit and are using fewer plastic bags and more reusable ones."
Note: Keep in mind, while 200 million sounds impressive it only represents a 3% reduction of Australia's total plastic bag consumption. Ireland's model was able to reduce plastic bag consumption by 90%.
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=26518
The Weekend Australian, 2.26.04
CRACKS are appearing in the shoppers' love affair with the plastic bag, with major supermarket chains dramatically reducing the number used at the checkout.
But while supermarkets have cut plastic bag use by 200 million, critics pointed out yesterday there were still almost 6.8 billion bags to go.
Dr Kemp said the fact that they had already managed to cut bag use by more than 200million was proof a bag levy was unnecessary...
...saying a 3 per cent reduction under the voluntary system is magnificent. Well it's not, it's a flop," Dr Brown said.
Sorry! Article no longer available.
Planetark.org, 11.11.03
All 130 retail outlets in Huskisson and Kangaroo Valley are banning plastic check-out bags. They join Coles Bay in Tasmania, the first town in Australia to go plastic bag free. Reusable bags will be made available to shoppers.
http://www.planetark.org/plasticbags/KangaHuskiMR.PDF
ABC South East NSW, 8.18.03
Last year, shopkeeper Tony Neiberding used 15 thousand plastic bags in his convenience store at Mogo on the NSW South Coast but next year he'll use none, when the historic village becomes the first mainland town in Australia to ban plastic bags.
"I've never really liked plastic bags getting into the ocean and creating havoc with the wildlife," he told Tim Holt on ABC South East NSW, "It just seemed a good idea. It was something small we could do."
Click here to hear a related story--
http://www.abc.net.au/southeastnsw/stories/m679295.ram
http://www.abc.net.au/southeastnsw/stories/s928090.htm>http://www
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 8.9.03
How one of the country's most powerful lobbies - the so-called Waste Club - has ruthlessly repelled moves to solve Australia's growing waste crisis.
Here, environment is top of mind. But all over Australia, the plastic shopping bag debate has ignited passions.
Sights like this, a whale beached off Cairns, found with six square metres of plastic in its body cavity, have caused outrage at the killing capacity of the plastic bag.
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2003/transcripts/s941450.h
ABC Radio National, 8.5.03
Plastic shopping bags are a huge environmental menance in Australia. Australians use almost 7 billion bags per year. The retail industry has now agreed to cut its usage by 50% over the next 2 years. But will the voluntary code of conduct work, or do we need stronger measures?
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/austback/stories/s917047.htm
ABC Mid North Coast NSW, 6.11.03
On the 7.30 report the plastic bag debate was thrashed out yet again...and it seems that it's going to be a high profile issue for a few years to come...
The Liberal Government agreeing at their recent party convention to stamp out plastic bags in a few years time. But plastic bag makers themselves say banning plastic bags isn’t the answer and the whole reason we use plastic bags, which is convenience, hasn’t been addressed.
Jeff Burch from Detmark, the main producer of plastic bags is interviewed. Click here to listen.
ABC Kimberly WA, 6.1.03
A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, seven billion evil plastic bags were plotting to take over the world. Sound like science fiction? well it's not.
Australians use seven billion plastic bags every year - 80 million end up in landfill, and the other couple of million are on the loose in the great outdoors.
Someone who knows all too well the impact that rubbish has on the Kimberley is Cameron Crowe. He's the Australian Coordinator of Leave No Trace, a non-profit organisation that tries to people to tread lightly when they're in the great outdoors. Click here to listen.
ABC Northwest WA, 3.14.03
When you go shopping, do you try and get as much as you can into as few plastic bags as possible?
Or do you use a cloth or paper bag - maybe one of the types that supermarkets are selling these days. With Clean Up Australia's 'Bag yourself a better environment' program running till the 28th of March, Jean thought she'd check with one our large supermarket retailers to find out what they're doing to help stem plastic bag usage .... including an unusual trial. She spoke with John Clune, external affairs manager WA for Coles Supermarkets. Click here to listen.
ABC Northern Tasmania, 3.4.03
Shoppers across the country were recently given the chance to take environmental protection into their own hands with the trial introduction of “plastic bag free lanes” at selected supermarkets.
The only Tasmanian supermarket to participate in the trial was Coles at Kings Meadows in Launceston.
“Our local supermarket has 200 of their new re-usable plastic bags and they sold out of them within two days,” he said.
“Once you improve the availability of those alternatives to plastic bags, people really do take them up.” Click here to hear the report.
Hear what Launcestopn shoppers had to say about the trial of "plastic bag free lanes" at one of their local supermarkets. Click here to hear.
Reuters, 12.23.02
Australia announced a crackdown on plastic bags, stating a goal of cutting litter by 75%, or 38 million bags, by the end of 2004. Of the 6.9 billion bags consumed annually in Australia, 50 to 80 million wind up as litter. The federal government is launching a voluntary “code of practice” for retailers to meet a target of 50% recycling and reduction of lightweight plastic bags. It is also weighing a tax on the bags.
Sorry! Article no longer available.
ABC Western Victoria, 10.3.02
Environmentalists say there is overwhelming public support for the introduction of a 25-cent levy on supermarket plastic bags as a means of persuading shoppers to bring their own bags instead.
A survey, commissioned by the environmental group Planet Ark, has found 80 per cent of respondents backed the idea.
The aim of course is to encourage the public to start using string bags, or cloth bags...
Sorry! Article no longer available.
ABC New South Wales, 9.23.02
Have you ever opened the drawer where you once stuffed only a few plastic shopping bags, to discover plastic bags by the hundred? No longer shall your kitchen cupboard be overflowing with the plastic bags that once carried your groceries from the supermarket to your home. No longer will you be able to freely amass these plastic bags.
Instead, canvas and string shall be the done thing. John Dee from Planet Ark explains. Click here to listen.
The Age, 3.5.02
A confidential report has revealed that Australia's big retailers have ignored government targets to halve the use of plastic bags.
The retail industry has detailed its plan to tackle plastic bag litter in a draft national code of practice. The code, leaked to The Age, makes no mention of halving the 6.9 billion bags used by shoppers each year - a target set by federal and state environment ministers in December.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/18/1053196474484.html
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