Plastic Bags - COAG Standing Council on Environment and Water

Contents
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ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................................................. 3
GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................................... 5
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................................... 8
2. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 12
2.1. Definition of ‘plastic bag’......................................................................................................... 13
2.2. <strong>Plastic</strong> bags in Australia ........................................................................................................... 15
3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ................................................................................................ 17
3.1. <strong>Plastic</strong> bag consumption in Australia .................................................................................... 17
3.2. Nature of the plastic bag transaction ..................................................................................... 20
3.3. <strong>Plastic</strong> bags and litter................................................................................................................ 21
3.4. Linkage between plastic bag consumption and litter .......................................................... 22
3.5. Sources of plastic bag litter: intentional and inadvertent littering..................................... 23
3.6. Impacts and costs of plastic bag litter .................................................................................... 23
3.6.1 Environmental impacts...................................................................................................... 24
3.6.2 Social impacts and community attitudes........................................................................... 26
3.6.3 Damage to boating and auto industry ............................................................................... 28
3.6.4 Clean-up and infrastructure .............................................................................................. 29
3.7. Waste management................................................................................................................... 30
3.7.1 Landfill............................................................................................................................... 30
3.7.2 Material recovery facilities (MRFs)................................................................................... 31
3.7.3 Compost and organics recovery industry .......................................................................... 31
4. IS GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION REQUIRED? ................................................................. 32
5. OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................................................................... 34
6. CURRENT MEASURES IN PLACE ............................................................................................... 35
6.1. Is there national regulation or policy currently in place? ................................................... 35
6.2. The National Packaging Covenant and the National Environment Protection (Used
Packaging Material) Measure.................................................................................................. 35
6.3. Australian Retailers Association Code of Practice for the Management of <strong>Plastic</strong> <strong>Bags</strong>
(ARA code)................................................................................................................................. 37
6.4. State and territory environment protection regulatory measures ..................................... 39
6.5. Anti-litter activities to manage plastic bag litter .................................................................. 40
6.6. What has been the objective of government action to date?............................................... 41
6.7. Examples of other government or community anti-plastic bag litter efforts ................... 42
7. STATEMENT OF PROPOSED ALTERNATIVES – COSTS AND BENEFITS ..................... 43
7.1. Options cost benefit analysis...................................................................................................44
7.2. Impact analysis: methodology ................................................................................................ 45
7.2.1 ACG report to EPHC, Phasing out light-weight plastic bags: costs and benefits of
alternative approaches........................................................................................................ 45
7.2.2 ACG report to DEH, ANRA proposal on plastic bag management: supplementary
economic analysis to the EPHC report .............................................................................. 46
Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement: Investigation of options to reduce the environmental impact of plastic bags January 2007 1