Queensland Considers Ban On Plastic Bags

[icyfroth]

Queensland could soon ban plastic shopping bags.

The Newman government is considering a plan to cut waste, particularly plastic.

One proposal aims to force shoppers to bring their own bags, or pay 15 cents to $2 for reusable or biodegradable bags, The Courier-Mail reports.

Similar bans are already in place in South Australia, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory.

Other initiatives under consideration include an education campaign on the problem of excess waste.

Education Minister Andrew Powell said the government would engage in public consultation later this year, before any decision was made.

He said the government would look closely at the experiences of other states that had imposed bag bans.

Queenslanders use an almost 800 million plastic bags a year.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/a/-/latest/17966110/qld-considers-plastic-bag-ban/ 

Turtles mistake them for jellyfish and eat them. They can't pass them and die in agony.

I'd applaud any plan of any government to cut waste, but this has all been around before hasn't it?.

How do you force ppl to bring their own bags or pay for them? If the government were serious, they'd ban supermarkets from offering them.

With the power the major retailers have, I can't see them doing that, can you?

[2106greencat]

Would be a great thing Icy.

I remember seeing images of the old plastic six pack of cans wrappers causing all sorts of suffering when birds and fish and small animals got them caught around their bodies and necks - horrible.

[purple_haize]

They should be banned, some shops down here in Victoria, have banned them.

I dont like them, they rip to easy. I can remember when all bags were brown paper.

[mugssy65]

I don't mind the idea of paying BUT I don't think the stores should be able to profit from it! Either they charge us what hey pay for the bags OR they should be forced to give the profit to the WWF!

[polksaladallie]

Stores already charge us for the plastic bags.

[polksaladallie]

If they ban plastic bags, what do we put our rubbish in then?

[mugssy65]

Yes they do charge and make a profit from doing so. That's what bothers me!

[cherry*135]

Target here has charged for bags for the last 3 or so years.. 10c for a small and 20c for a large. They are rubbery biodegradable ones. I think they also have reusable bags to purchase also.

I think it is a good idea... imagine all those millions of plastic bags in the dump, not breaking down.

There is a little brass statue of a pelican by the harbour here, who died from eating a plastic bag.

[cherry*135]

muggsy - how much profit would they make on a 10c bag do you know?  The Target ones are biodegradable.. they may cost 10c each.

polkad  - for the kitchen bin I recently found compostable bags, 100% compostable, breaks down in 90 days. From C supermarket I think. They are rubbery, like the Target ones.

[polksaladallie]

What I meant was that we already pay for the "free" plastic bags.