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National Tree Day Planet Ark Home
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Plastic bags and Retailers Retailers, governments and community awareness groups, such as Planet Ark, are undertaking a range of activities to address the litter problems caused by lightweight single use plastic singlet bags. These bags, if littered, can balloon and fly in the wind or float on water causing harm to both land and marine based animals. The Australian Retailers Association Code of Practice for the Management of Plastic Carry Bags is helping Australians address the plastic bag problem. Under the Code, retailers have agreed to reduce plastic bag use by 50% by the end of 2005. More than 90% of Australian supermarkets have now signed up to the Code of Practice, including Woolworths, Coles Myer, and the Independent Grocers of Australia (IGA). Governments are very keen to see all retailers participate in the Code and work is currently underway with non-supermarket retailers (eg hardware stores, petrol stations, newsagents, and fast food outlets) to help them reduce their use of plastic bags. To assist this work, the Australian Government has funded Planet Ark to identify what is holding non-supermarket retailers back from stocking and promoting alternatives to plastic carry bags.
Click here to read Planet Ark's final report for the Department of the Environment and Heritage, March 2005 - 'Plastic check-out bag use in non-supermarket retail outlets'.
Click here to go to Planet Ark's Plastic Bags - Just say No! information.
Click here to find out what the Australian Government are doing to reduce waste nationally. |
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