SA: South Australians lead the fight against plastic bags

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2004
SA: South Australians lead the fight against plastic bags

ADELAIDE, Feb 12 AAP - South Australian shoppers are leading the way in reducing the
use of plastic bags, the state government said today.

Figures released by Bi-Lo and Coles supermarkets showed the number of single use plastic
bags handed out in SA had fallen by 19 per cent at Bi-Lo and 17.6 per cent at Coles.

Nationally, the number of plastic bags handed out by the supermarkets had fallen by
less than 12 per cent.

More than six billion plastic bags are used in Australia each year, with most ending
up in landfill and others becoming an environmental hazard to birds and animals, state
Environment and Conservation Minister John Hill said today.

"If these impressive figures from Bi-Lo and Coles were replicated across all South
Australian supermarkets it could keep up to 140 million plastic bags out of landfills
every year," Mr Hill said.

"Not only are South Australian consumers leading the way in reducing the number of
plastic bags they use, they are also leading the nation in the purchase of alternative
bags, such as reusable plastic and calico."

A national ban on plastic bags will take effect by the end of 2008.

AAP la/cmc/jlw

KEYWORD: BAGS

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