Page 37 - Platics News June 2022

New South Wales Implements Ban On Sup Bags E ective Mozambique To Ban Use
June
Of Plastic Bags By 2024

T he Mozambican government
will ban the use of plastic bags
by 2024, aiming to guarantee a bet-
ter solid waste management in the
country, said the Minister of Land
and Environment Ivete Maibaze on
the eve of the World Environment
Day’22 . e policy making process
he Australian state of New South year.“I think all of us can see the impact should have started in 2020 but was
TWales (NSW) has implemented a plastic pollution is having on our en- postponed due to the COVID-19
ban on lightweight plastic bags from 1 vironment, which is why we’re making pandemic, according to the minis-
June 2022. e state government ap- major changes in New South Wales this ter who was speaking at a seminar
proved its Plastic Reduction and Cir- year. “ e ban on lightweight single-use on the socioeconomic impact of the
cular Economy Act 2021 in November bags has come into place from 1 June, banning of plastic bags in Maputo.
" e plastic bag problem cannot be
last year, followed by the introduction and then from November, we’re ban-
seen as an urban sanitation manage-
of the Plastics Action Plan. e ban ning more problematic plastics, such as
ment issue faced only by Municipal
on lightweight plastic bags is part of cutlery and plates. “Single-use plastic is Councils and local governments. It
NSW’s wider plan to eliminate single- used by many of us for just a few con- impacts the lives of every citizen, di-
use plastic items and packaging, which venient minutes, but it remains in our rectly and indirectly by contributing
currently account for 60% of all litter in environment for many years, eventually to a large extent of inadequate sani-
the state. Over the next 20 years, NSW breaking into microplastics. “We each tation, creating conditions for the
will be able to remove nearly 2.7 bil- have the power to make positive envi- emergence of diseases and threaten-
ing biodiversity," said Maibaze. e
lion items of plastic litter from pollut- ronmental change at an individual level,
minister said proposal for a regula-
ing the environment through this initia- and I encourage everyone to choose to
tion on the banning of plastic is al-
tive. Later this year, the state will extend go plastic-free as often as they can.” In
ready being heard and the country
the ban to several other plastic items, March this year, the Australian Gov- will align itself with the internation-
including single-use plastic straws, stir- ernment invested A$1.1m ($826,430) al and national commitments that
rers, cutlery, plates, bowls, cotton buds, to support the development of ‘in - the government has made through
expanded polystyrene food ware and nite’ plastic recycling technology. e her ministry. e banning practice
cups, as well as rinse-o personal care Australian government previously an- is also coordinated by the country's
private sector, non-governmental
products containing plastic microbe- nounced plans to phase out “single-use
organizations, and partners, and is
ads. NSW Environment Minister James plastics” by the end of 2025, including
embodied in sustainable develop-
Gri n said: “ e lightweight plastic banning the use of expanded polystyrene
ment projects and the government's
bag ban is the rst of many plastic items food containers by December 2022. ve-year program 2020-2024, said
being banned in New South Wales this Maibaze.

37 PLASTICS NEWS June 2022