It is obvious that the problem with 'free' throw-away plastic bags is that
something which has no cost has no value. The only way to make people take
notice of the problem is to impose a tax/charge on bags, so that people
realise they are being financially disadvantaged when they dispose of them,
and treat them as a resource rather than as discardable rubbish. Nothing
catches people's attention more than a twinge in the hip-pocket nerve.
We live in an area close to an Aldi store; Aldi charge for all their bags,
and they are heavy-weight durable construction (unlike the normal flimsy
supermarket bags) which enables them to be reused numerous times. And guess
what? I have NEVER seen an Aldi bag discarded on the roadside, or dumped,
or anywhere else outside a supermarket for that matter.
Another system that could be used is to have some type of substantial/robust
bag and a 'refundable deposit' scheme, but I am not sure how that would
work. It might certainly encourage people to retrieve carry bags. I think
perhaps South Australia still has a refundable deposit on soft drink
bottles. Is that so, does anyone know? And, if so, how effective is it? I
remember in NSW when we had refundable deposits on bottles (back in the
1970s, if memory serves) they certainly never littered the streets as they
now do. But shopping bags? Practical or impractical?
Regards
Ralph Reid
Sydney
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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