Plastic Bags - COAG Standing Council on Environment and Water

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Litter Estimate
It is difficult to measure the total number of bags that enter the litter stream each year. Nolan ITU
attempted to do this in 2002 but in doing so cautioned against using such figures for measuring
performance against related targets. This important qualification should always be considered
when using those data.
• Does the 2002 estimate seem reasonable from your experience and observations, please detail
your response with data where possible?
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• Can you improve the rigour of this annual plastic bag litter estimate, detailing the method used
to arrive at your estimate?
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20
25
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In 2005, plastic bag consumption had fallen to an estimated 3.92 billion plastic bags. This equates
to an average use of 192 bags per capita in 2005 down from 303 per capita in 2002 and an overall
reduction in plastic bag consumption of 34 percent from 2002 levels. 17
As the focus of recent bag reduction activities has been on HDPE bags, less data are available on
LDPE bag usage. However in 2006, Hyder Consulting noted that LDPE bag imports in 2005 were
69 percent lower than in 2002. 18 It appears that this did not reflect a shift to local production of
these bags, but was more attributable to a decline in their use.
As demonstrated by Figure 1, various types of retailers are responsible for the distribution of
plastic bags. 19 In 2002, supermarkets accounted for 53 percent of plastic bag distribution with the
other 47 percent distributed by other retailers, such as fast-food, hardware, newsagents, gift shops,
and other general merchandising outlets.
It has been estimated that in 2005, Australian manufacturing of HDPE plastic bags had fallen by
51 percent since 2002. The following table indicates a reduction in Australian plastic bag
manufacturing from 2002 to 2005.
Table 3.1 Reduction in Australian <strong>Plastic</strong> Bag Manufacturing Since 2002 20
2002 2003 2004 2005
Locally produced HDPE bags (billions) 1.98 1.75 1.58 0.97
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Of the 3.92 billion HDPE single-use bags supplied in 2005, 25 percent (0.97 billion bags) were
locally manufactured and the remainder were imported 21 There are two main plastic bag
manufacturers in Australia – Detmark Poly <strong>Bags</strong> Pty Ltd and Andrew Kohn Pty Ltd – both of
which are located in Victoria.
17 Hyder Consulting, May 2006, <strong>Plastic</strong> Retail Carry Bag Use 2002-2005 Consumption: 2005 end of year report,
p.6-7.
18 Ibid.
19 Nolan-ITU, 2002, <strong>Plastic</strong> Shopping <strong>Bags</strong> – Analysis of Levies and Environmental Impacts, Melbourne, p9
20 Table adapted from Hyder May 2006 p6.
21 Hyder Consulting, Op. Cit, p.6
Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement: Investigation of options to reduce the environmental impact of plastic bags January 2007 18