2017-01-16 GC - Attachment 1 to Item 8 - Plastic Bag Discussion Paper

What will a plastic bag ban in
Queensland look like?
The intention is to introduce a regulation that prohibits any retailer
in Queensland from providing consumers with single-use lightweight
                                                                         What would a ban mean
plastic shopping bags.                                                   for retail businesses?
To ensure consistency for the retail sector, Queensland is seeking       Retailers would be prohibited by legislation from supplying single-
to adopt a similar law to South Australia, the Australian Capital        use lightweight shopping bags made from any kind of plastic, and
Territory, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.                          fines would apply.
However, unlike other jurisdictions, biodegradable bags would be         Any ban would only come into effect after extensive consultation
included in the ban in Queensland, as these bags still pose a risk to    and preparation, with sufficient lead time to allow retailers and
aquatic fauna such as turtles.                                           consumers to adjust to the change.
The ban will apply to the following bags:
»» lightweight bags, less than 35 microns thick, with handles            What might the voluntary approach for
   (‘singlet’ bags)—consistent with other states
»» biodegradable singlet-style bags.
                                                                         heavy weight bags look like?
                                                                         The Queensland Government will lead a national initiative on
The regulation will apply to all retailers—including supermarkets,       behalf of all jurisdictions to work with department store retailers on
convenience stores, take-away food stores, pharmacies, liquor            voluntary measures to reduce the use of the heavier weight bags.
stores, and other retail businesses.
                                                                         At the same time the Queensland Government will work with
The ban will not apply to the following bags:                            department stores to implement voluntary actions to reduce the
»» barrier bags (typically fruit and vegetable and deli-style bags       supply of the heavier single-use plastic bags.
   without handles)                                                      This may take the form of a Code of Practice similar to that
»» reusable bags                                                         implemented by major supermarkets in 2003; however, the
                                                                         government is interested in hearing about the available actions that
»» heavier-weight department store bags
                                                                         have been and could be developed. A number of stores have already
»» bags that are integral to a product’s packaging (such as a            voluntarily stopped using plastic bags and the government wants to
   bread bag)                                                            build on these approaches.
»» kitchen tidy bags.
Surveys in other jurisdictions show that householders and retailers      Key dates
quickly adjust to a plastic bag ban and that there is a high degree of
support for the environmental objective of reducing plastic litter.       25 November 2016          Release of discussion paper
                                                                                                    ‘Implementing a lightweight plastic
                                                                                                    shopping bag ban in Queensland’
What would a ban mean for consumers?
                                                                          27 February 2017          Close of public consultation on
Consumers would no longer be able to obtain lightweight plastic                                     discussion paper
shopping bags at supermarkets, convenience stores, service
                                                                          Early 2017                Development of legislation for
stations and other retail outlets.
                                                                                                    lightweight plastic bag ban
Reusable bags would still be available, or consumers could bring
                                                                                                    Commence consultation with retail
their own bags.
                                                                                                    sector on voluntary measures to
A ban will mean that the so-called ‘free’ plastic bag is no longer                                  reduce the numbers of heavier-weight
available to the consumer. The single-use plastic bag is currently not                              department store plastic bags
free to the consumer. The cost of a bag is incorporated into the price    Mid-2017                  Introduction of legislation to ban
of goods purchased. While a ban may mean that the consumer will                                     lightweight shopping bags
have to purchase reusable bags, this should usually be a one-off cost.
                                                                                                    Development of measures for heavier-
                                                                                                    weight plastic bags
                                                                          Mid-2017 to end-2017      Preparation for ban on lightweight bags,
                                                                                                    including education and training for
                                                                                                    retailers and consumers
                                                                          1 July 2018               The ban on lightweight shopping bags
                                                                                                    comes into force




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