Ministers Meet To Ban Plastic Bags 1

Ministers Meet
To Ban Plastic Bags

April 17 2008: Peter Garrett will meet State Environment Ministers today

to discuss plans to ban plastic bags by the end of the year.


The National Plastic Bag Campaign is calling on Ministers:

- To guarantee that the ban will affect all retailers not just supermarkets.

- To spell out how the plastic bag phase-out will work. Will Ministers ban

plastic check-out bags or will there be a charge for them?

- To ensure that the ban covers `degradable' plastic bags which contain

traces of heavy metals.



"Australia's Environment Ministers must today spell out how they plan to

phase-out plastic check-out bags," said Jon Dee, the organiser of The

National Plastic Bag Campaign.


"Whether it's through a ban or a mandatory charge, Australian consumers and

retailers need to know how the plastic bag phase-out will actually work."


Announcing a ban on plastic check-out bags will stop up to 4 Billion plastic

bags a year from ending up in Australia's landfills and environment.


"Australian communities such as Coles Bay have shown that it's possible to

live without plastic check-out bags," said Dee. "It's vital that Ministers move

once and for all to protect marine life from the scourge of plastic bags."


Jon Dee is available from 5am on 0414 971 900

For more information, please visit www.AreYouReady.com.au