SUPERMARKET plastic bags could be banned in Victoria as the state government considers phasing them out in the near future.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The government has joined with New South Wales and Queensland to plan for plastic bag-less shopping, following the lead of South Australia almost seven years ago.
The plan was welcomed by Y Services Bendigo club member Rob Green, who helps to pick up litter from the side of the region’s roads.
He said while plastic bags only made up a small proportion of the litter, phasing them out would be positive for the local environment.
“The more plastic we can get out of the system, the better,” he said.
“Even if the plastic bags have degraded quite a bit in a few months, they still leave microscopic plastic particles.
“They make up a tiny fraction of what we find on the roadsides, but it’s still a very good move to encourage people to take their own green bags to the supermarket.”
Fast food packaging is by far the most common form of litter in Bendigo, with styrofoam containers the most difficult to pick up and disintegrate, Mr Green said.
The state government is believed to be considering a complete phasing out of the bags rather than placing a levee on plastic bag purchases.
Victoria joined with two other states to formulate a plan after it was confirmed a federal ban would not be considered.
Between seven and eight billion plastic bags are used in Australia each year.
In front of Coles Bendigo, Terrie Steve walked out with a trolley full of six plastic bags after a Friday shop.
She said the bags serve a number of uses in her household.
“We use them for bin liners. We go camping a lot as well, so they’re always put to some use,” she said.
“If they get rid of them, I guess we’ll have to upgrade to the bigger plastic bags, if they aren’t phasing those out.”
Garbage bags will still be available for purchase, while smaller plastic bags for fruit and vegetables will also still be in use. Larger plastic bags from retailers could also remain.
A co-ordinated approached between the three states would need to be determined before a date of the phase out is announced.
South Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania and the ACT have already phased out lightweight plastic bags.
