Plastic bags are a convenient way to shop, but they are also a blight on the landscape, ruining waterways and parks across the country. Local Governments in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland are leading the charge against the plastic scourge.
It is not just the ugliness of the litter. Plastic bags also cause terrible suffering to animals when swallowed and take thousands of years to breakdown in landfill. It is estimated that plastic kills up to 1,000,000 seabirds, 100,000 sea mammals, and countless fish each year worldwide. When the animal dies and decays the plastic is free again to repeat the deadly cycle.
In Yankalilla, South Australia every citizen in the district has been given two calico bags to help them give up using the plastic bags, and retailers have been supplied with paper bags. The rural council located an hour and a half from Adelaide has accepted the challenge to work towards a plastic shopping bag free environment.
Council’s Economic Development&Tourism Officer, Michelle Hales, said the district is renowned for its pristine marine waters, native bushland and dairy and sheep farms. Signs promoting a plastic bag free environment have been placed at the major entry points to the district and in each town to serve as a constant reminder to residents and visitors.
In Port Hedland, Western Australia residents are encouraged to swap ten plastic bags for a Coles Green Bag. If people bring ten plastic shopping bags to the staffed displays at the shopping complexes or to the Town of Port Hedland Council building, they will receive one calico bag or Coles Green Bag in exchange. So far, even though this initiative has only been going a few weeks, it has already proved very popular with many people who have already been exchanging their plastic bags.
A similar step is being taken in Queensland. Rockhampton City Council Environmental Services Waste Coordinator, Nigel Tuckwood, said Rocky Recycles produced the calico bags to highlight the need to minimise the amount of plastic bags littering the environment, especially waterways.
“We have produced a number of calico shopping bags as alternatives to using plastic shopping bags,” he said.
The calico bags were given to the first 1,000 people who presented 20 plastic shopping bags to customer service staff at City Hall.
