The phase-out of lightweight plastic bags in Australia is happening across a state and territory level. Northern Territory, ACT and Tasmania have had it's ban implemented for quite a while now with Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia following suit in 2018. New South Wales is yet to implement a plastic bag ban as yet, however large shopping retailers such as Coles and Woolworths have introduced a voluntary plastic bag ban as of July 2018.
Plastic bags have been proven to have a negative impact on the environment, getting into our soil and releasing harmful toxins into our environment. It also adds to our already large landfill and is a significant hazard to our gorgeous animal kingdom, with many native species directly impacted through choking after ingesting these plastic bags.
So, what do we do now?
There is no denying the convenience of these plastic bags on your weekly shop, however the negative impact far out weighs the superficial convenience and now with state laws banning them, we must turn to alternatives.
Re Use What You Have
I'm sure I'm not the only one with a bag full of plastic bags hidden in the storage cupboard of my home. What better way to clear this out then to reuse the bags we have collected over time in a conscious manner. These bags will however still end up in landfill or in our oceans.
Invest in Multi- Use Re-Usable Bags
Multi use shopping bags come in a range of shapes, sizes and colours making them the perfect (and fashionable) alternative for your shopping trips.
We love the Onya range, with their variety of produce bags,backpacks and shopping bags available. Onya products are responsibly made in China. Wherever possible their products are not only 100% recyclable, but they are also made out of recycled material such as rPET, a fabric produced from recycled plastic water bottles.They are quite literally taking plastic waste from landfill and turning it into something reusable for many years to come.
Personally, I think this plastic bag ban is fantastic for Australia to be implementing! If you live in a state that's had this ban implemented for a while, let us know your ideas for getting your shopping home below.