Thick plastic bag ban a possibility

THICK plastic bags could be banned in Queensland as part of a more extensive crackdown on pollution.

The State Government has left the door open to a broader ban on plastic bags – like the ones sold by supermarkets for 15c – claiming it would monitor reforms in other states.

It comes after the Victorian Government last week confirmed it was open to banning all plastic bags “if voluntary action isn’t effective”.

A State Government spokesman said that Queensland would continue to assess the implementation of the ban of single-use plastic bags.

“As with any reform in any other state, we will monitor the reform closely, should it go ahead,” he said.

“As part of Queensland’s broader waste strategy, a Plastic Pollution Reduction Plan is being developed to identify how government, business and the community can work together to reduce the impacts of plastic pollution.”

Single-use, lightweight plastic shopping bags were banned in Queensland in July last year. It was estimated that close to one billion of the thinner bags were being used across the state each year, with about 16 million ending up in the environment.

An Opposition spokesman said the LNP was the first party to support the introduction of restrictions on single-use plastic bags.