Media Release 17 May, 2007

Claims supermarket plastic bags not a problem “environmentally negligent”

Claims that supermarket plastic bags are not contributing to the problem of discarded plastic bags are environmentally negligent and fail to address the billions still being dumped in landfill each year, Clean Up Australia Chairman Ian Kiernan AO said today.
 
The Australia National Retailers Association released survey results yesterday that found 93 per cent of survey respondents reused or recycled plastic shopping bags, with more than half of those as bin liners.
 
“It is environmentally negligent to claim that this survey proves supermarket plastic bags are somehow not part of the problem. Reused as garbage bin liners means that supermarket plastic bags end up in landfill where they can pollute groundwater,” Mr Kiernan said.
 
“This survey has been conveniently used to argue against a levy being imposed on plastic bags when only a ban on their use will prevent further damage to Australia’s environment by discarded plastic bags.”
 
Mr Kiernan said it was only a minor improvement that so many people were reusing plastic bags. It remains alarming, he said, that so many plastic bags are still ending up in landfill sites.
 
“We know that only 2 to 3 per cent of plastic bags are recycled, leaving 90 per cent of the population reusing plastic bags, which still means they end up in the environment. That means something like 3.76 billion plastic bags still going to landfills. That’s more than 20,000 tonnes of plastic every year. A ban is the only way to reduce this problem.
 
“Almost 4 billion plastic bags are still being produced for Australian use every year. The rubbish problem they create, the detriment they cause to kerbside recycling systems and the resources and energy used to produce them are something that cannot be justified.”

To produce the 3.76 billion plastic bags that Australians used each year, 784,000 barrels of oil are burnt, adding to damaging greenhouse gas emissions.
 
“There is a simple solution, stop using them altogether. Communities across Australia have already taken the lead by banning plastic bags in their own towns and suburbs,” Mr Kiernan said.
 
“San Francisco recently became the first US city to ban plastic bags. Now many other county’s and cities across North America are looking to follow suit. Over 40 countries around the world are currently taking action to get rid of plastic bags.
 
“If we can introduce a ban on incandescent light bulbs in a matter of days, we can take decisive action on plastic bags also.”

Further information:   Paul Sheridan, 0410 516 656