Australia’s environment minister wants to ban plastic shopping bags

Friday 11 January 2008 by Elisa Francfort

The Australian environment minister said Thursday that he hoped to ban all plastic shopping bags by the end of this year, a move that would go one step further than China, which said this week that it would ban ultra-thin bags and make retailers charge for others.

"There are some four billion of these plastic bags floating around the place, getting into landfill, ending up affecting our wildlife, and showing up on our beaches while we are on holidays," Environment Minister Peter Garrett said.

"I think most Australians would like to see them rid."

The global momentum against plastic bags is growing.

On Tuesday, China said on the official government Web site that it would ban free plastic bags starting June 1. The thinnest bags will be banned outright, and stores will be forced to charge for thicker, more durable bags.

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Australia’s environment minister wants to ban plastic shopping bags

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