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

Table of contents
Message from the Minister................................................................2
Overview ........................................................................................4
        The concern.................................................................................................. 4
        International and national responses............................................................ 4
        Queensland’s response................................................................................. 4
        Your views..................................................................................................... 4

Definitions ........................................................................................5
Types of plastic bags ....................................................................... 6
The nature of the problem.................................................................7
        Plastic in the environment............................................................................. 7
        Impact of plastic bag litter............................................................................. 7
        Amount of plastic bag litter...........................................................................8
        Persistence and ‘biodegradable’ plastics......................................................8
        Plastic bags and consumer behaviour...........................................................8

National and international responses.............................................. 10
        International action..................................................................................... 12
        National action on plastic bags................................................................... 12
        Business and voluntary responses.............................................................. 12
        Jurisdictional action on plastic bags............................................................ 13

Developing a Queensland Government response............................. 14
        Queensland policy context.......................................................................... 14
        Preliminary consultation on options for Queensland................................... 14
        Feedback from consultation to date . .......................................................... 14
        The way forward for Queensland . ............................................................... 14
        Inclusion of biodegradable plastic shopping bags .......................................15
        Voluntary reduction measures......................................................................15
        Research......................................................................................................15

What will a plastic bag ban in Queensland look like?....................... 16
        What would a ban mean for consumers?..................................................... 16
        What would a ban mean for retail businesses? ........................................... 16
        What might the voluntary approach for heavy weight bags look like?........... 16
        Key dates.................................................................................................... 16

Have your say.................................................................................. 17
References......................................................................................18
Appendix 1...................................................................................... 19




                                                                                                                            Discussion paper | 3