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

  • Anthony May
    signed 2015-12-07 22:11:23 +1100
  • Michael Italiano
    signed 2015-12-07 22:01:06 +1100
  • Linda Hampton
    signed 2015-12-07 21:58:06 +1100
  • Mark Fliedner
    signed 2015-12-07 21:50:07 +1100
  • Angela Grieve
    signed 2015-12-07 21:32:08 +1100
  • Kathy Donnelly
    posted about this on Facebook 2015-12-07 21:05:26 +1100
    I just signed the open letter calling on Environment Ministers to ban single use plastic bags.
  • Gerard Dwyer
    signed 2015-12-07 21:01:35 +1100
    It is so easy and we all adapted in days and don’t even notice.
  • Ryan Larkin
    posted about this on Facebook 2015-12-07 20:51:24 +1100
    I just signed the open letter calling on Environment Ministers to ban single use plastic bags.
  • Ryan Larkin
    signed 2015-12-07 20:50:56 +1100
  • Sheila Pitts
    signed 2015-12-07 20:49:45 +1100
  • Deirdre Loveless
    signed 2015-12-07 20:49:44 +1100
  • Colleen Squires
    posted about this on Facebook 2015-12-07 20:41:09 +1100
    I just signed the open letter calling on Environment Ministers to ban single use plastic bags.
  • Colleen Squires
    signed 2015-12-07 20:40:16 +1100
    The sooner this can happen, the better!
  • Gabrielle Duigu
    signed 2015-12-07 20:37:52 +1100
    What are you waiting for?
  • Sally Ryan
    signed 2015-12-07 20:24:10 +1100
  • Dirk Jansen
    signed 2015-12-07 19:32:06 +1100
  • Mary Rahilly
    posted about this on Facebook 2015-12-07 19:19:41 +1100
    I just signed the open letter calling on Environment Ministers to ban single use plastic bags.
  • Mary Rahilly
    signed 2015-12-07 19:19:21 +1100
    There’s no excuse for single use!!
  • Tim Walsh
    signed 2015-12-07 19:05:20 +1100
  • Harry Herrera
    signed 2015-12-07 19:04:21 +1100
    Victorian Environment minister, this comment is to you, VIC state should become plastic free state, I work in retail, we go through at least 5 boxes that’s 5,000 plastic bags in week. Most of these bags will end up in land waste or te sea, plastic takes hundreds of years to degrade!

    Please listen to the people’s voice!
  • Karen Ayliffe
    signed 2015-12-07 19:00:12 +1100
    I am signing because plastic is causing suffering and slow death to our fish, birds and animals.
  • Monica Hewson
    signed 2015-12-07 18:58:51 +1100
  • Colleen Fletcher
    signed 2015-12-07 18:55:36 +1100
  • Natalie Cordon
    signed 2015-12-07 18:55:30 +1100
  • Dave Holland
    signed 2015-12-07 18:54:47 +1100
  • KRin Pender-Gunn
    signed 2015-12-07 18:49:55 +1100
    No more plastic bags! This is something we can all do to help the environment as it is so simple.
  • David Parker
    signed 2015-12-07 18:44:02 +1100
    Time to follw South Australia and other LGA’s to recycle and eliminate plastic.
  • Karen Eagling
    signed 2015-12-07 18:43:11 +1100
    We need to act now to reduce the impact of so-called ‘single use’ bags.
  • Annette Bristow
    signed 2015-12-07 18:36:10 +1100
  • Charles Gream
    signed 2015-12-07 18:33:52 +1100
    Plastics are doing too much environmental harm. Their use can be reduced considerably.