Page 44 - Plastics News May 2019
P. 44
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Australia reduced Plastic Bags by Thailand to ban three kinds of
80% in 3 months plastic by end of this year
n the space of three y the end of 2019 Thailand will be free from three
Imonths, Australia has Btypes of plastic – microbeads, cap seals and oxo-
reduced its use of plastic degradable plastics. The Cabinet has acknowledged
bags by 80 percent according the road map and assigned the Natural Resource and
to a report. Australia’s Environment Ministry to formulate a draft action
National Retail Association plan for plastic waste management for next 20 years.
reported that the drop was Then by 2022 four other types of single-use plastics
not led by legislation or will also be banned – lightweight plastic bags less
government policy, but by WKDQ PLFURQV WKLFN VW\URIRDP IRRG FRQWDLQHUV IRU
two of the nation’s biggest WDNHDZD\V SODVWLF FXSV DQG SODVWLF VWUDZV ² DFFRUGLQJ
VXSHUPDUNHW FKDLQV &ROHV DQG :RROZRUWKV /DVW \HDU to a road map approved by the Cabinet.
the two retailers banned free single-use plastic bags,
instead offering reusables ones for 15 cents. Science TKH 3ODVWLF :DVWH 0DQDJHPHQW 5RDG 0DS
also includes an ambitious plan for Thailand to use
Insanity reports that the move could potentially prevent
around 1.5 billion plastic bags from entering the ocean 100 per cent recycled plastic by 2027 in various forms,
including turning waste into energy. The Cabinet
and the natural environment. “Retailers deserve an
enormous amount of kudos for leading the way on one also called for clear details on related agencies’ role
in the integration of the work for managing plastic
RI WKH PRVW VLJQLÀFDQW FKDQJHV WR FRQVXPHU EHKDYLRU LQ waste, which will also get huge participation from
generations and we also applaud shoppers for embracing
this environmental initiative,” said the National Retail
Association’s Manager of Industry Policy David Stout
in a statement. Reducing plastic hasn’t always been a
popular decision, notes the National Retail Association,
but nonetheless, a necessary one. It recalls that Coles, in
particular, was hesitant to introduce its ban, but powered
through with it anyway.Stout added, “the decision
by certain retailers to no longer offer free single-use
plastic carry bags certainly received a hostile response
from some shoppers initially, but these retailers deserve
credit for dramatically reducing the number of bags in
circulation.” the opposition leader had said that it will
ban single-use plastic bags and microbeads from 2021.
the private and business sectors. The related state
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten welcomed Europe's agencies should create various mechanisms to propel
move, but said further study was needed quickly to stop this forward such as creating a good understanding
any "unforseen consequences" of the ban.He has also among agencies, continuously implementing a public
promised an Advanced Manufacting Future Fund to develop relations campaign via social media to achieve the
alternatives to single-use packaging. Over the last decade set goals, the Cabinet instructed.The work procedure
since state environment ministers undertook to ban the must consider lifecycle plastic-waste management
bag, 1.2 billion have ended up in the litter stream. Clean so steps are taken from the very start: with plastic
8S YROXQWHHUV UHSRUW WKDW RI WKH SODVWLFV WKH\ UHPRYH products designed applying the “Eco Design” approach,
from our streets, parks, beaches, bushland and waterways manufacturing and post-consumption disposal which
are plastic bags. These bags are killers once they enter
our environment. Their victims - the animals that ingest will include garbage separation, transport and storing,
them - choke, smother or die of malnutrition. recycling and proper disposal.
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