Page 30 - Plastics News July 2017

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Australia moves closer to nationwide bag ban

Queensland will be the fourth of Australia's seven states and territories to ban single-use
polyethylene carry bags.

nother Australian state is legislating to ban plastic shopping bags.
Ashopping bags.The Queensland Government has Sectio n 99B
introduced the Waste Reduction and Recycling Amendment M ea n in g of
Bill 2017 into parliament. It now will be considered by a banned plastic
government committee, which must report by August 11 shopping bag
2017. The bill will then be put before parliament for a and alternative
vote and is likely to pass. shopping bag

Queensland will be the fourth of Australia's seven states and The purpose of
territories to ban single-use polyethylene carry bags. The this section is
most populated states, New South Wales and Victoria, plus to define what
Western Australia, have not announced any plans to ban bags. is meant by a
But a public petition in favor of bag bans in those three states banned plastic
has 162,605 signatures. shopping bag

The Queensland bill prohibits retailers from giving away bags and what is meant by an acceptable alternative shopping
with purchases, apart from thin film bags used to transport bag that can be used to replace the banned bag.
perishable foods. Queensland's bill also includes a beverage A banned plastic shopping bag is defined as a carry bag with
container refund program. The ban and container deposits handles that is made in whole or part from plastic, whether
would both start July 1, 2018. or not the plastic is degradable. The bag may be made of a
A major Australian Senate report, delivered to the Federal thickness that is less than the thickness that is prescribed in
Government in April 2016, recommended banning lightweight, regulation, or unless otherwise prescribed, is of a thickness
single-use plastic bags in all states and territories by 2020. less than 35 microns.
Meanwhile, the island state of Tasmania is looking at A banned plastic shopping bag may also be a bag that is
amending its bag law, which has been in place since 2013. prescribed in regulation as a banned plastic shopping bag.
That law prohibits retailers from giving shoppers bags less This allows for a regulation to ban, for example, a thicker
than 35 microns thick. Tasmanian Environment Minister single-use plastic shopping bag if these bags start to be
Matthew Groom has asked Tasmania's Environment Protection supplied as an alternative to the lightweight single-use
Authority to make recommendations on how to address a rise shopping bag. The intent of the ban is to move behaviour
in use of thicker bags. away from single-use plastic bags and towards reusable
alternatives – not to simply substitute a single-use lightweight
He said retailers are giving away thicker bags as a substitute plastic bag with a slightly thicker single-use bag that has the
for thinner, banned bags, which "is contrary to the intent of same environmental and wildlife impacts if littered.
the legislation."
A banned bag must be a shopping bag. This means that bags
Banned plastic shopping bags
that may be used by local governments at off-leash dog parks
99A Objects of Part : The purpose of this section is to establish as ‘dog poo’ bags, nappy bags and other similar plastic bags
the objects for this part. The new section states that the are not included in the definition of a banned bag.
objects are to: reduce the amount of plastic pollution by For the purposes of this Part, certain bags are not banned
reducing the number of plastic bags that become waste and bags. Bags that are not included in the ban are ‘barrier bags’;
enter the environment as litter; and encourage retailers and a plastic bag that is, or is an integral part of, the packaging in
consumers to consider whether a carry bag is necessary in the which goods are sealed for sale; and a bag that is prescribed in
first instance and if a bag is needed then to use alternative

Plastics News | July 2017 30