International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

31.0 Plastic Bag Bans – International
31.1 Outline of Policy
This policy seeks to prohibit the production, distribution and use of polythene bags –
known commonly as plastic bags. The raison d'être for the need of ban can vary from
country to country or region to region, but most commonly, a ban is implemented due
to adverse environmental damage imposed upon landscapes. Issues surrounding soil
degradation, loss of soil fertility and health impacts are often cited as reasons for
implementing bans. 616 In addition, plastic bags are considered by some to be an
unsightly component of litter.
Implementation of plastic bag bans can vary widely depending on which
authority/regulator is authorising the ban. In some instances, authorities will only
have the power to implement prohibitions in the distribution of bags. These tend to
be undertaken by municipalities on the city-wide or town-wide scale. In some
instances, these are community driven and operate under a voluntary code of
practice.
More comprehensive bans, which include the manufacture, distribution and use of
bags, are most often undertaken by nation-states. In most instances, bans are
subject to a number of exemptions. These include exemptions for products that
require polythene packaging because no alternative materials are available on the
market (particularly healthcare goods).
This policy seeks to remove polythene bags from the collected waste stream, and
prior to that, from streets and drains. The main actors in the economy affected by the
ban are the manufacturers and retailers of bags.
31.2 Where Has the Policy Been Applied and Why?
Bangladesh was the first nation-state to impose a nationwide ban on plastic bags on
1 st March 2002. 617 Other small nation-states have subsequently imposed bans.
These include:
525
� Bhutan
� Rwanda; and
� Eritrea.
A complete ban on the production, distribution and use of plastic bags is rare.
However, there is a trend for more and more countries to consider outright bans. For
616 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1329600.stm consulted August 2008.
617 Ministry of Environment and Forests, Bangladesh (2008) Major Policy Initiatives, consulted October
2008 http://www.doe-bd.org/policy.html
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes