South Australia Bans Plastics Bags

"Kill Off Plastic Bags, Not Wildlife".

One of the most damaging sources of consumer waste comes from plastic shopping bags. If we all say NO to plastic bags, what a big difference it would make for such little effort.

Single-use, check-out style,bags have been banned from supermarkets and shops in South Australia, the first state in the nation to prohibit them.  When stores open on Monday, shoppers will either have to carry reusable green bags, or pay up to 25 cents for a biodegradable bag.The ban is expected to remove about 400 million plastic bags from South Australia’s waste each year.  Retailers who breach the  new rules will face on-the-spot fines of $315 or a maximum penalty of $5000. Suppliers who fail to comply could face fines of up to $20,000.

“South Australians know we’ve only got one planet and that we can’t keep acting like we have two or three,” Mr Weatherill said.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1017215/South-Australia-bans-plastic-bag