Plastic bags to be phased out in Northern Territory
The Northern Territory Government is taking the lead from South Australia, announcing a decision to phase out single-use shopping bags as part of their climate change policy. They are also moving toward the introduction of a container deposit scheme – like that seen in SA – and ahead of any final decision on a nationwide deposit container scheme.
“We’ll be introducing legislation in 2010 to ban plastic bags in the Territory,” NT Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, said – according to the ABC. “This is about reducing landfill and certainly complementing what we will be doing in a cash-for-containers scheme in 2011.””It’s about everybody playing their part and certainly I’m going to have to change my shopping habits.”
In May this year South Australia started enforcing their plastic bag ban and last month they hailed it a success, saying 200 million checkout-style bags had been saved from entering landfill.
Meanwhile, federal and state environment ministers are still mulling the possibility of a nationwide introduction of a container deposit scheme while also looking at the most suitable way to cut plastic bag use.
