Sign The Open Letter: Ban Plastic Bags

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GOAL: 2,000

Dear Minister,

Environment ministers have been discussing the issue of removing plastic bags from the litter stream and...

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Dear Minister,

Environment ministers have been discussing the issue of removing plastic bags from the litter stream and marine environment for long enough.

Every Australian wants our stunning rivers, oceans and waterways to have a clean and healthy future. Plastic pollution infests waterways, clogging them with plastic bags, packaging and microbeads.  In Australia, the CSIRO Marine Debris Report 2014 estimated there are over 124 billion individual pieces of visible plastic littering the Australian coastline.

The tripartisan 2016 Senate Inquiry into Marine Plastic Pollution urged Australian state and federal governments to ban plastic bags and microbeads as a matter of urgency.

Tasmania, the ACT, the Northern Territory and South Australia have already banned single use plastic bags and can improve their legislation to include 'so-called biodegradable' bags which are just as big a problem in the marine environment as conventional plastic bags.

We are calling on Environment Ministers in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia to catch up and take immediate action by banning single use plastic bags (including so-called biodegradable bags). 

Plastic pollution is lethal. We need strong action now.

 

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Will you sign?


In July 2017 Environment Ministers are meeting to discuss what to do about plastic bags.

Tasmania, the ACT, The Northern Territory and South Australia have already banned single use plastic bags and Queensland is introducing a ban in July 2018.

We're making sure when they meet that the NSW, Victorian and WA Ministers know there is huge community support for taking action on plastic bags. We've joined with 49 community and environment groups, representing thousands of members, to write an open letter demanding greater action. Add your name to the open letter today to let the ministers know you support a ban on plastic bags.  

There is increasing evidence that even though a small percentage of bags are littered and then broken up into smaller and smaller pieces – they have a devastating impact on the environment. This includes so called ‘biodegradable’ bags, which are just as dangerous in the marine environment.

With the CSIRO Marine Debris Report 2014 estimating there are over 124 billion individual pieces of visible plastic littering the Australian coastline – and a large legacy of plastic from previous years becoming microplastic – action needs to be taken on multiple fronts.

Plastic pollution is a major threat to wildlife. Globally it is estimated that 1 million sea birds and over 100,000 mammals die every year as a result of plastic ingestion or entanglement. Of great concern are the secondary microplastics derived from broken up bags and bottles.

We estimate that some 180 million bags enter the Australian environment every year.

Read the full letter and our policy recommendations here

Thanks to our partners who joined the open letter. 


Showing 1710 reactions

  • Robert Woodley
    signed 2015-12-11 12:20:07 +1100
    Please ban single use plastic. I’m forever swimming in it at the beach and picking it up on the way home from the shops! Urgent attention to drink containers also needed to clean up filthy Sydney.
  • Paul Andrew
    signed 2015-12-11 12:19:20 +1100
  • John Pretty
    signed 2015-12-11 12:19:01 +1100
  • Paul Phillips
    signed 2015-12-11 12:18:37 +1100
  • Laurie Brand
    signed 2015-12-11 12:18:31 +1100
  • Nicholas Gibson
    signed 2015-12-11 12:17:40 +1100
  • Simone Howard
    signed 2015-12-11 12:15:45 +1100
    Plastic bags should have been banned many years ago!
  • Sally Elkan
    signed 2015-12-11 12:15:13 +1100
    Please act now
  • Sarah Fisher
    posted about this on Facebook 2015-12-11 12:13:33 +1100
    I just signed the open letter calling on Environment Ministers to ban single use plastic bags.
  • Sarah Fisher
    @SarahF2470 tweeted link to this page. 2015-12-11 12:13:30 +1100
    I just signed the open letter calling on Environment Ministers to ban single use plastic bags. http://www.boomerangalliance.org.au/banplasticbags?recruiter_id=42606
  • Manfred Tettweiler
    signed 2015-12-11 12:13:07 +1100
  • Sarah Fisher
    signed via 2015-12-11 12:12:23 +1100
    We need to act NOW and do this. Plastic kills innocent animals.
  • Stephen Pitney
    signed via 2015-12-11 12:11:21 +1100
  • Alice Beauchamp
    signed 2015-12-11 12:10:56 +1100
    It is long overdue, so let’s ensure happens now.
  • Dennis Burt
    signed 2015-12-11 12:10:55 +1100
  • Kassandra Bossell
    signed 2015-12-11 12:09:40 +1100
  • Beryl Dix
    signed 2015-12-11 12:05:12 +1100
  • Mary Cusack
    signed 2015-12-11 12:05:01 +1100
  • Erica Foley
    signed 2015-12-11 12:04:53 +1100
    Plastic kills
  • julien cahn
    signed 2015-12-11 12:04:36 +1100
    So important. . . please act now before it’s too late
  • Helen De Silva Joyce
    signed 2015-12-11 12:04:27 +1100
  • Adele Geraghty
    signed 2015-12-11 12:03:41 +1100
  • Suellen Harris
    signed 2015-12-11 12:03:08 +1100
  • Graeme Ilbery
    signed 2015-12-11 12:01:02 +1100
  • Bridget Smits
    signed 2015-12-11 12:00:33 +1100
    I have seen what a difference banning plastic bags has made in the A.C.T. Let’s make it national. It’s easy to live without the ubiquitous plastic bag and so doing would be a world of difference to our beleagured environments.
  • Jodie Fraser
    signed via 2015-12-11 11:58:16 +1100
  • Mathew Beyer
    signed via 2015-12-11 11:57:50 +1100
  • Andrew Smith
    signed 2015-12-11 11:57:27 +1100
  • Chris McMillan
    signed via 2015-12-11 11:56:26 +1100
  • Terri Kadlec
    signed 2015-12-11 11:55:19 +1100