22/03/2005 - Raising awareness
among all retailers is the key to cutting
plastic bag use, according to a report released
today by the Minister for Environment and
Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, and Planet
Ark Managing Director Jon Dee.
Convening a plastic bags roundtable of industry
and environment groups held at Parliament
House, Senator Campbell said the Planet Ark
report revealed great disparities in how non-supermarket
retailers were responding to the challenge
to cut plastic bags use by 50 per cent by
the end of 2005.
"I am pleased to see that some stores
surveyed by Planet Ark for the Australian
Government are achieving even better results
than the supermarkets, which we know are on
track to meet their targets," Senator
Campbell said.
"Bunnings, for example, has cut plastic
bags use by 73 per cent - that's 21 million
plastic bags.
"However, of the 129 non-supermarket
retailers surveyed in this study 47 per cent
had not heard of the ARA's target of a 50
per cent reduction, or its Code of Practice
on plastic bag use.
"Cost is also an issue with 51 per cent
saying they use plastic bags because they
are cheap. Meanwhile 46 per cent said it was
habit and 43 per cent also stated convenience
as a reason."
Today's roundtable, which coincides with
World Water Day, also marks the launch of
Clean Up Australia's 2005 "Say NO to
Plastic Bags" campaign. The Chairman
and founder of Clean Up Australia, Ian Kiernan
AO, also attended the roundtable.
"Congratulations must again go to Clean
Up Australia for running this campaign, which
the Australian Government has supported as
a partner since it began," Senator Campbell
said.
"World Water Day is a timely reminder
that every year thousands of marine animals
are killed by plastic bag debris. The solution
is simple - we need to step up our efforts
to encourage shoppers to say no to plastic
bags, and simultaneously encourage retailers
to provide alternatives.
"Despite the action taken by supermarkets,
single use plastic bags in the litter stream
are increasing. Clean Up Australia's detailed
plastic bag litter surveys conducted in the
Greater Sydney region in 2003 and 2004 suggest
that plastic bag numbers are still going up."
Mr Kiernan said: "Ridding plastic bags
from our environment as quickly as possible
must become the focus for all retailers."
