BAN PLASTIC BAGS!
- by: Waikiki Planeteers
- recipient: We want plastic bags banned from Western Australia!
Read more below -
Dr Talbot said Labor was prepared to introduce a Private Members Bill to ban plastic shopping bags because of the Barnett Government's failure to act.
"Western Australians use about 400 million plastic shopping bags each year," Dr Talbot said.
"Only about three per cent are recycled. The rest end up either in our environment or in landfill."
Dr Talbot said it was very disappointing that the recent Environment Protection and Heritage Council meeting in Perth, hosted by WA Environment Minister Donna Faragher, had failed to reach an agreement about imposing a national ban on plastic bags.
"Expectations were running very high that even if there was no national agreement WA would have the guts to impose a state ban like the governments of South Australia and Victoria," Dr Talbot said.
"Nobody is in any doubt that plastic bags cause environmental damage.
"Community concerns centre on the number of plastic bags going to landfill and the fact that, contrary to widespread belief, they take approximately 1000 years to break down. People are also unhappy about the impact of plastic bags in public places like parks and beaches.
"The effect on wildlife caught up in plastic bag debris is significant and the damage they cause to recreational equipment like boat engines, diving gear and jet intakes is well documented and substantial.
"Several WA councils and communities including Albany and Fremantle have moved to eliminate plastic bag use and there is wide support for a ban from all round Western Australia."
Dr Talbot said that exemptions for plastic bags without handles would ensure that the ban on plastic bags would not affect the hygienic storing of food.
"The community is ready to see real action to stop plastic bag use, and Labor is committed to taking this vital environmental step," Dr Talbot said.
- http://www.wa.alp.org.au/news/0110/02-02.php
We the undersigned completely support the Honourable Dr Sally Talbot, Shadow Environment Minister, in her decision to submit a private members bill to ban plastic bags.
We wish that this bill we see the complete ban of plastic bags from every type of vendor across all of Western Australia.
With the overwhelming growth of usage (of plastic bags) and the lack of environmental common knowledge these bags are turning into silent killers. With the ban of plastic bags we can further conserve our local environment and hopefully raise some questions from the local community and in doing so raise further environmental awareness.
Thank you for your time and effort in the endeavour.
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