City of Canada Bay has become the first council in New South Wales to officially offer support to Clean Up Australia’s #BanTheBag campaign.
Councillors voted in favour of a resolution to support the #BanTheBag campaign last month and resolved to urge local State MPs to support legislation banning single-use plastic bags in NSW.
The resolution also called for a policy to be developed that would introduce a standard condition of consent on all future commercial applications prohibiting the use of single-use plastic bags, as well as the rollout of an education campaign for local businesses and residents and the consideration of soft plastic recycling stations across the area.
City of Canada Bay Mayor Helen McCaffrey said the move complements Council’s Sustainable City Committee’s ‘Bagless in the Bay’ project, which supports business owners to reduce their own and their customer’s reliance on single-use plastic bags.
“Plastic bags have been around for more than 30 years and it is estimated that one trillion bags every year are used and discarded worldwide,” Mayor McCaffrey said.
“After taking part in Clean Up Australia Day earlier this year, I have seen first-hand the amount of plastic bags that end up in our beautiful parks and waterways. It’s time to put an end to the single-use plastic bag.”
Clean Up Australia Managing Director Terrie-Ann Johnson welcomed the support of the City of Canada Bay and congratulated Council on being the first in NSW to officially get behind the campaign.
“Local government support is significant. Councils like the City of Canada Bay have the reach and authority to make a real difference, they work alongside retailers as they make the switch from plastic bags – assisting, recognising and rewarding their local citizenship.”
