The ACT Liberals have questioned the efficacy of Canberra's plastic bag ban after supermarket giant Coles revealed bin liner sales have increased by 29 per cent since the laws were introduced.
Providing plastic bags thinner than 35 microns, typically the sort given away in supermarkets, takeaway shops and markets, became illegal on November 1.
Coles' head of communications, Jon Church, said he expected bin liner sales to double.
''Wherever plastic bag bans have been introduced, we see an increase in sales of bin liners as customers no longer have single-use carrier bags available which many households use for disposing of their waste. It is well reported that following the South Australian ban, sales of bin liners across all retailers doubled,'' Mr Church said. ''Sales of kitchen bin liners in the ACT increased by 29 per cent following the carrier bag ban.''
A spokeswoman from Woolworths said she could not release bin liner sales information as it was ''commercial in confidence.'' Coles and Woolworths have been charging 15c for thicker carrier bags but Mr Church said but he was unable to provide figures on how many had been sold since November 1.
''The most popular reusable bag chosen by Coles customers is our 99c 'green' bag,'' he said.
Liberal MLA Alistair Coe said the figures called the Government's reasons for the ban into question.
''It goes to show that the plastic bag ban is putting an extra cost on the weekly bills of Canberra families, but in addition to that, it shows that the consumption of plastic bags is perhaps remaining steady,'' he said.
The new laws were passed by the ACT Government with the Greens' support and the Liberals voted against it.
But Mr Coe said the party had not discussed if it would repeal the laws if they were able to form government after October's local elections.
''It goes to show that Canberrans were reusing the plastic bags before - they were reusing them as bin liners or other purposes and those purpose remain, but now they simply have to go and buy the plastic bags instead - so from an environmental point of view, I doubt if it's having the desired effect.''
Environment Minister Simon Corbell was not available for comment, but when the new laws came into effect, he said it would decrease ''the amount of waste that goes to landfill, and helps people to continue to reduce our impact on the environment.''
An estimated 64 million plastic bags were sent to ACT landfill last year.
The Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate was unable to provide any new figures on plastic bags in landfill.
Since July last year, the Office of Regulatory Services has inspected 2191 businesses to check compliance with the new laws.
A spokesman from Justice and Community Safety said no infringements have been issued. ''ORS is following up with approximately 30 businesses to assist them in their compliance,'' he said.
.gif)
