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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