Australian Government is currently working in conjunction with retailers and other stakeholders to phase-out single-use plastic bags by the end of 2008. If you don't have plastic bag alternatives ready to go in your store by this date, you'll be left behind. Plastic bag management has been a critical environmental issue for retailers and consumers for several years. At present there is no regulatory prohibition on the use of plastic bags however if we are able to significantly reduce the number of bags using a voluntary approach, we can help protect the environment. OzePac Solutions Group is committed to help Australian retailers to find out the cheapest solutions for alternative options.
There are many environmental issues associated with non-paper bags e.g. plastic bags:
* Plastic bags kill large numbers of wildlife each year. In the water, plastic bags can be mistaken for jellyfish and then ingested by birds, whales, seals and turtles. This makes plastic bags pollution in the marine environments particularly dangerous, as the aforementioned animals may die from intestinal blockages.
* Another disquieting fact is that plastic bags can become serial killers. Once an animal that had ingested a plastic bag dies, it decomposes much faster than the bag and releases the bag into the environment more or less intact, ready to be eaten by another misguided animal.
* Disturbingly, it is claimed that plastic bags are the most common man-made item seen by sailors at sea.
* Plastic bags do not readily biodegrade. They take 20-1000 years to decompose in the environment.
* According to Clean Up Australia, Australians use in excess of 6 billion plastic bags each year, and a huge proportion of these ended up as rubbish. These single-use plastic bags have a devastating effect on the environment.
If you are a retailer selling food products, you will need to consider food safety, hygiene and cross-contamination issues when considering alternatives to light-weight plastic bags. Consider replacing lightweight plastic bags with paper bags, biodegradable bags or other options (like barrier bags) if it is practical for your business, and aim to reduce your store's use of plastic bags. Plastic bag use, other than for food and safety reasons, is an unnecessary use of resources and sends a negative environmental message that can lead to a loss of customer loyalty. All Australian businesses issuing lightweight HDPE (high density polyethylene) plastic bags are strongly encouraged to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Please act now, you'll have plenty of time to explore the alternatives, choose the right one for your business, cut your plastic bag costs and start marketing your actions to your customers.
There are many alternatives to offering your customers plastic bags. Four of the most common are reusable polypropylene bags (similar to the 'green bags' sold in many stores), reusable calico bags, paper bags with recycled content or biodegradable bags. The best option for you will depend on what type of store you are and what kinds of products you sell.
We provide the most cost effective solution for your business and work with you to keep the cost down for your plastic bags alternative. While the cost of offering plastic bag alternatives may seem like a burden in the short term, the benefits to the environment and the marketing opportunities they present will benefit your business in the long term. It's easy to get started and Saying NO MORE PLASTIC BAGS will help you take action today.
Degradable / Biodegradable Plastic Bags
At present in Australia, there are no standards for degradable or bio-degradable bags, and there is concern that some products available in the market do not meet their degradability claims. The ARA does not recommend that retailers use degradable bags until the Standards are developed. The Standards are in developmental stages and we will let you know when this is finalised.
There has been strong government pressure to reduce the amount of plastic bags issued by retailers. The ARA created the Code of Practice for the Management of Plastic Bags, the Code contained strong targets, including to reduce the number of bags issued by Supermarket retailers by 25 percent by the end of 2004, and by 50 percent by end-2005. The Code also aimed to encourage Group II non-supermarket retailers to commit to the principles of the Code.
If you would like to get copy of the Code of Practice can be downloaded from www.ara.com.au
The final report was provided to the Department of Environment and Heritage in May this year. The report outlined significant and promising results by both Group I and Group II retailers. In summary:
• A 45% reduction (approximately 3 billion bags over 2 years) of bags issued by Supermarkets. With the aim of achieving a further 10% by Dec 2006
• A 14% recycling rate of bags issued by Supermarkets.
• Over 90% of Group II retailers surveyed indicated they had reduced the amount of plastic bags issued.
• 24% of Group II retailers reported they had completely removed plastic bags from their business.
While the code has now ended the ARA encourages retailers to continue to further reduce the use of plastic bags and the ARA will be making a new code available shortly that will deal with the wider issue of packaging. The ARA also has a retailers guide, stickers and posters available to both members and non-members. Australia also have a Retailer Starter Kit available that can be ordered from http://www.cleanup.com.au/
For more information on this please send us an email: info@ozepac.com.au