Biodegradable Bags
Biodegradable Bags
Most of us want to reduce our plastic bag usage and wastage, so what is
the best way? We all need bags to cart our increasing shopping items so
why shouldn’t it be compulsory for supermarkets and other retailers to
only use bio-degradable shopping bags? Some supermarkets are already
using biodegradable shopping bags, such as IGA Supermarkets, these bags
can be re-used to dispose of waste within the household. Meaning that
the bags are being re-used and you don’t have to purchase additional
rubbish bin liners for your home.
It has been said that at least 267 species are affected by the plastic
bags that end up in the ocean, this is estimated to kill over 100,000
marine mammals and turtles each year. Sea turtles mistake the plastic
for jellyfish, their main food source, and then they choke.
Biodegradable plastic bags are often made from farmed products like
cornstarch which in the right conditions break down into elements like
carbon dioxide and water. Biodegradable bags need to compost within
12 weeks and fully biodegrade within 6 months to meet international
standards.
Environment Minister Peter Garrett has confirmed he'll phase out all
plastic bags by the end of this year, if necessary with a legislative
ban. This may result in stores introducing only biodegradable bags and
more encouragement for shoppers to bring along their recycle bags. Signs
in shopping centre car parks asking "Did you remember your recycle
bags?" would combat those shoppers who forget to grab their bags out of
the car before walking inside. Some shoppers also say ‘no to plastic
bags’ and place all their groceries back into the trolley and when they
reach the car place their groceries in large baskets, resulting in the
use of no bags and a convenient basket to carry the groceries from the
car inside.
Many retail stores have turned to using re-usable cloth bags for
purchases, then you can re-use these for your groceries or other things
at home, some of these you do have to pay for though. While these cloth
and woven bags are great to re-use at the supermarket you are not likely
to throw your food and other waste away in these, meaning we still need to purchase some type of rubbish bag.
LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics is sending giant ‘bag monsters’ to descend
on lunchtime shoppers, urging them to swap their plastic shopping bags
for a free, reusable, eco-friendly tote bag. LUSH wants to trash plastic
bags as Australians are using approximately 5.6 billion petroleum-based
shopping bags each year. Plastic bags get used for less than an hour and
then from there take up to 1,000 years to break down in the envrioment.
LUSH wants to see the Federal Government and other retailers with
customers and campaign support get plastic bags out of our citites. Mark
Lincoln, Managing Director Lush Australasia Retail Pty Ltd. "The two
things people should take when shopping are their wallets and their
reusable tote bag."
Beginning on the 2^nd of July 2008 customers can go into LUSH Fresh
Handmade Cosmetic stores and find out more information and sign a
petition urging the Enviroment Protecrtion and Heritage Council to ban
plastic bags and promote a sustainable alternative. If you do not live
near a LUSH store you can sign a petition online at the Animal
Australia’s website:
www.animalsaustralia.org/features/say_no_to_plastic_bags.php
But are cloth & woven bags the answer? They only solve part of the problem.... We still need some type of bag to dispose of our end waste, 'rubbish' bags are currently not biodegradable, so reusing biodegradable shopping bags is one answer, legislating the use of only biodegradable plastic bags within Australia another possibility...
What if the government passed a law that only allowed retailers to
supply biodegradable bags for the country to use in all shopping.
Encouraging shoppers to bring their own bags or reuse these
bio-degradable bags. Stores such as fast-food chains McDonalds, Nandos
and Oporto and the Body Shop have introduced using paper bags, there is
no reason other stores cannot lead by their examples. Ireland did it
years ago, China banned handing out plastic bags from June 1st this
year. In China there is a tax on plastic bags and plastic bags are
banned from all public transportation, including buses, trains and
planes and from airports and scenic locations. In Australia, Bunnings
have reduced their usage of plastic bags by over 99% as they began
charging 10 cents per plastic bag, other retailers such as IKEA and ALDI
have also began charging for plastic bags. In April 2008, South
Australia announced a ban of plastic bags from large supermarkets. A
recent trial has been introduced in 10 Victorian Supermarket chains
Safeway and Coles trialing charging 10-25 cents for customers use of
plastic bags.
Premier Anna Bligh of Queensland says she doesn’t approve of charging
for plastic bags as it would be another impost on families already
struggling to meet rising household costs. Anna Blight is committed to
"In this government's ongoing fight to protect our environment,
Queensland will push for a total ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags,
and call for urgent work to be done to identify an environmentally
friendly alternative."
The Australian government reports we use approximately 6.9 million
plastic bags each year so next time the cashier asks if you would like a
plastic bag (biodegradable or not) for your small purchase think about
whether you really do need it? Most of the bags we are taking with our
purchases are ending up in the trash or as litter causing other major
environmental problems. At this stage if you really do need to grab a
plastic bag do, but ensure you take it back to a Coles store and place
it in the blue plastic bag bin, that recycles all plastic bags.
So what is the answer, charge a levy on plastic bags, legistate only biodegradable plastic bags allowed or switch to paper?
What do you think would work best? Have your say at
www.femail.com.au/blogs
