June 20 saw the ban on free single-use plastic bags in Woolworths supermarkets. From July 1, all other retailers including Coles will implement this same ban.

For those of us who care about the human impact on our environment, this move is long overdue. However, in the last week the backlash from the media has been impossible to avoid as the public, and media organisations accuse companies like Woolworths and Coles of squeezing a few dollars and playing the environment card to get away with it.

But let’s think about this for a minute. A 2016 study found that supermarkets like Woolworths and Coles give out around 4 billion single use plastic bags a year. Of these, at least 1% find their way back to the environment. This means that the oceans and landfills are wearing the consequences of our supermarket habits. To make matters worse, these bags take hundreds of years to start breaking down, if at all.

So, what is the solution?

At present, Woolworths and Coles have alternatives like a more durable plastic bag for 15 cents each, a foldable enviro bag, or the conventional green enviro bag, both for 99 cents each, and of course the freezer bag at $2.49. Much of the outrage has come from the fact that plastic bags are still on offer, but at a price.

What we need to do is ask ourselves a few questions. The thought of buying more bags at every shop gets costly. Does the thought of having to pay for your bags when you buy just a few things make you think twice about whether you really need one? Does this compel you to bring your own back with you?

Another argument against the ban is the other purposes the bags are used for: rubbish. With no free bags, people will have to buy their own garbage bags. Again, with the thought of having to pay for your bags, do you think you will be more mindful of how many you are using, and how much rubbish you put in each one?

I feel the answer to most if not all of the questions above is yes, hence I firmly believe that the production and use of plastic will decrease significantly.

Others have expressed their distaste at the fact that such retailers still sell pre-packaged food wrapped in, you guessed it: plastic. Free bags are also still on offer in the produce department.

What we all need to remember is that Rome wasn’t built in a day. This is one very big step in the right direction. Woolworths and Coles have both stated that they are looking at alternatives for plastic produce bags, but it is a work in progress, and these things take time.

 

After hearing so much about the ban on plastic bags for the past few months, I am baffled that the way in which we transport our purchases from the shop to our homes has provoked such an angry response. Think about it. Single-use plastic bags have been banned in the ACT, South Australia and Tasmania for several years now. Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland are merely following suit. So, why is this such a drama when we are reducing our footprints on the environment for our children and grandchildren?

Here are a few ways to help you with the transition:

1. Put some enviro bags in the car, so that you’re never caught short when you make an impromptu trip to the supermarket.
2. Buy some foldable enviro bags to keep at the bottom of your handbag or back pack.
3. Re-use the single-use plastic bags you still have at home. This will reduce the distribution of the new re-usable bags and will save you money.
4. Take a basket shopping with you. Some people have those nice old wicker baskets, but you can take a laundry basket if you so desire.
5. Simply load your purchases back into your trolley loose, and pack them into your bags in the car, or don’t even bag them at all!

With these helpful hints, the transition should be a little easier. One major concern for retail workers is the backlash the cashiers would receive from customers. Already, the SDA has released a campaign called ‘Don’t Bag Retail Staff’. Check out the ad below.

This is the part that concerns me most: the fact that people are stupid enough not to realise that the ban on plastic bags has nothing to do with the fifteen-year-old standing behind the counter. Thankfully I personally have not witnessed much more than the odd eye roll from the odd customer, but I am just one grain of sand on a huge beach. To sum up, please try to think of the removal of single-use plastic ban as an important step to preserve the beautiful lands and oceans around us. It is a work in progress, and we are far from our goal, but it is a start. My happiest, cleanest and waste-free thoughts to you all.

xoxo Brett