Keep up to date with all the information on plastic bags, including decisions and studies commissioned by the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) and more...

This page provides a history of key information since the plastic bag levy debate started in the public arena.

(Also visit the Plastic Bags section of the website for more information on this complex issue.)

Senate Environment Committee rejects plastic bag levy (November 2003)

On Thursday 26 November 2003, the Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Legislation Committee rejected the Plastic Bag Levy Bills proposed by Green Senator Bob Brown and Independent MP Peter Andren.

The final report from the Committee states, 'the plastic bag issue is the first environmentally motivated packaging issue to capture public interest on a mass scale. The way that the plastic bag issue is addressed will set a precedent for the way other environmentally driven issues are dealt with in the future.'

The conclusion of the inquiry was that regulation 'should usually be reserved as the option of last resort' and that the existing range of abatement and educative measures agreed to by the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) are anticipated as being beneficial in achieving reductions in bag litter.

Read the Senate Committee Report, which includes a good overview of the range of issues presented. 

Environment Protection and Heritage Council meeting 2 October 2003

At its 2 October 2003 meeting, the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) 'formally accepted the retailers Code of Practice for the Management of Plastic Shopping Bags and called on all retailers, particularly smaller operators, to get behind the Code to ensure national bag and recycling targets are met'.

The Australian Retailers Association and major supermarket chains, such as Coles and Woolworths, have committed to reduce the use of lightweight single use plastic bags by 50% by the end of 2005 and to increase the recycling of these bags by between 15 and 30%. Retailers are supporting the community goal of cutting bag litter by 75% by 2005.

'Ministers commended retailers such as Bunnings, IKEA, and Coles in Tasmania who have recently taken their own action to reduce plastic bag use'. Bunnings and IKEA have introduced charges on plastic bags, while Coles in Tasmania is operating a rebate scheme. Read the EPHC Communique. 

Degradable bags: Ministers agreed to release a discussion paper on the Impacts of Degradable Plastic Bags in Australiafor public comment. Ministers will consider the report's findings and any public comments at the next EPHC meeting. Read the Impacts of Degradable Plastic Bags in Australia report.

Standards Australia will also be asked to help develop an appropriate Australian standard for degradable bags.

Bunnings Warehouse - Keep Australia Beautiful plastic bag levy

Bunnings and Keep Australia Beautiful have hailed the introduction on 15 September of their 10 cent levy on plastic bags as 'immediate and dramatic'. Visit Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria's website for more information on the 40% to 95% decrease across the 176 stores.

Environment Protection and Heritage Council Plastic Bag Communique 1 August 2003

The EPHC agreed to accept a revised Code of Practice developed by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) on the management of plastic bags. Ministers agreed to accept the Code as long as:

• Baseline data on current levels of use and recycling is provided by all signatories to the Code.
• A transparent auditing standard and process is put in place.
• Regular reports (eg six monthly) on implementation of the Code are made to the Ministers and are publicly available.
• Retailers provide a transparent, fair market choice between light-weight single use carry bags and multiple-use bags.
• The Australian Retailers Association enlists the signatures of as many small independent retailers as possible.

If the Code as amended is not implemented and/or targets not reached, Ministers will again look at implementing mandatory measures. Work by the EPHC on the development of these measures will continue.

Ministers indicated their support for phasing out light-weight single use carry bags containing HDPE within five years and agreed that the ARA be asked to enter into negotiations during the life of the Code to specify actions beyond 2005 to achieve this objective.

Legal advice will be sought on how retailers may provide information to customers on the true costs of single and multiple use bags. This information will allow customers to make an informed choice.

The ARA will be required to provide a revised version of the Code incorporating the additional matters specified by Ministers prior to the next meeting of the Council in October 2003.

Source: Plastic Bag Communique 1 August 2003 - EPHC website

The Environment Protection And Heritage Council Lead On Plastic Bags May 2003

At the National Environment Protection and Heritage Council meeting on 23 May 2003, Environment Ministers 'expressed their disappointment that the draft National Code of Practice prepared by retailers failed to deal adequately with the targets set by Environment Ministers in December 2002.

Ministers renewed their challenge to retailers to help protect the environment by keeping the more than 6.9 billion plastic shopping bags used in Australia each year out of the litter stream.

At a meeting last December, Ministers challenged retailers and the broader community to work together to meet 50 per cent recycling and reduction rates and to cut plastic bag litter by 75% by the end of 2004.

Ministers agreed to meet in July to pursue nationally coordinated mandatory measures.' Download the EPHC communiqué

EPHC Update October 2002: A National Approach To The Management Of Plastic Bags

The following article is downloaded from the Environment Protection and Heritage Council website.

In October 2002, the Environment Protection and Heritage Council* (EPHC) established an expert working group to investigate issues associated with plastic bag use in Australia and put forward management options for reducing the impact of plastic carry bags on the environment.

The working group found that Australians consume approximately 6.9 billion plastic carry bags a year. They concluded that plastic bags are Australia's highest volume 'add-on' packaging designed as a single use or disposable product and are not necessarily essential to product integrity. Approximately 53% of plastic bags are distributed from supermarket outlets, while 47% come from other retail outlets such as fast food shops, liquor stores, and general merchandising.

In December 2002, the Environment Protection and Heritage Council agreed to a package of measures to reduce environmental impacts of plastic bags.

The EPHC had asked the National Packaging Covenant Council to provide specific proposals for national action, including ways of reducing the impact of plastic bags as litter.

Ministers noted the work undertaken by the National Packaging Covenant Council and the National Plastic Bag Working Group in investigating workable approaches to reducing the environmental impacts of plastic bags and agreed on a mix of short and longer-term actions, rather than a single instrument.

Ministers will ask industry and the community to work together to cut plastic bags litter by 75 per cent by the end of 2004.

To assist the community to achieve these targets, EPHC agreed to the following four critical short-term actions:

• Government to develop legislative options, including a possible plastic bag levy and ban on plastic bags
• Retailers to develop and implement a strong National Code of Practice for the Management of Plastic Retail Carry Bags by April 2003, which includes targets for recycling and reductions in plastic bag use. Ministers have challenged retailers to meet the following targets for the Code over the next two years:
  • 50% recycling rate for HDPE plastic bags
  • 50% reduction in the number of HDPE plastic bags used
  • 90% participation rate of retail chains and 25% participation rate of small retailers in the Code.

Retailers are expected to make significant progress towards meeting these targets by the end of 2003.

The EPHC December 2002 Communique, the National Plastic Bags Working Group Report, and the Nolan ITU Report on Plastic Shopping Bags - Analysis of Levies and Environmental Impacts can be downloaded from the website

*The Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) was established by COAG in June 2001. The EPHC incorporates the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC), the environmental protection components of the Australian New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) and the Heritage Ministers' Meeting (see http://www.ephc.gov.au/ephc/membership_ephc.html for membership).

Biodegradable and degradable bags

With plastic bags firmly placed on the public and political agenda various options have been offered as solutions to the problem. One of these is the promotion of biodegradable or degradable bags. This is a very sensitive issue as there are concerns that using them may promote littering as people think they will break down in the environment. This is such a concern that some advocate not labeling them as degradable. There are also concerns about contaminating the recycling stream with these bags.

A national review of the environmental issues associated with biodegradable plastics has recommended that a framework be established for standards and testing, based on appropriate international standards.

The review was commissioned by Environment Australia, in consultation with the Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association. It was conducted by Nolan-ITU in association with ExcelPlas Australia. The principal aim of the review was to identify the emerging environmental issues associated with biodegradable plastics.

The review of biodegradable plastics is available on the Environment Australia website at:
http://www.ea.gov.au/industry/waste/ieu/pubs/biodegradable.pdf
The conclusions reached by the review can be found at:
http://www.ea.gov.au/industry/waste/ieu/biodegradable/chapter12.html

Reduce your plastic bag use! 10 tips for shoppers (Clean Up Australia)

1. If you're only buying a couple of items, consider carrying them.
2. When shopping, take alternatives to plastic bags with you such as calico bags, string bags, baskets or boxes.  Keep them in the car so they're handy.
3. Count the number of plastic bags you use each week and aim at least to halve that number - you'll find it quite easy once it's a conscious effort.
4. Be aware that the heavy (LDPE) bags used by most non-supermarket retailers are non-recyclable, so the best action is to avoid accepting them
5. If you have no other option than to accept plastic bags at the checkout, make sure at least eight items are in each bag - depending of course on the weight of the items.
6. Degradable alternatives such as biodegradable cornstarch bags and degradable plastic bags are currently being trialled by some retailers.  Be aware that these options will be available to consumers soon and support the initiative. 
7. Find a local supermarket that offers recycling facilities for plastic supermarket bags, such as Coles or Woolworths. Take your used plastic supermarket bags back for recycling the next time you go shopping. If you can't find the recycling bin, suggest to the store manager that it's put in a more prominent place.
8. Be careful to check which plastic bags are accepted at the recycling bins - it is only possible to recycle HDPE plastic bags used by most supermarkets, not the heavier bags used by other retailers (LDPE).
9. Ask the store about its policy on recycling and packaging.
10. There are many ways to reuse plastic bags at home including: freezing food; packing children's school lunches; storage of clothing and other household items; or while walking your dog, to name just a few.

Visit Clean Up's website for more information on their plastic bag campaign.