Canberra's ban on plastic shopping bags has increased the use of heavy "boutique" plastic bags, but has not caused a lasting increase in sales of bin liners, a review has found.
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In the six months leading up to the ban in November 2011, about 26 million lightweight plastic bags were distributed in Canberra. Two years later, in the six months to November 2013, people bought about four million "boutique bags" – the heavier plastic bags often branded with a store's name, the government review found.
By weight, the reduction in the use of plastic bags was a little less dramatic. In the six months before the ban about 182 tonnes of single-use plastic bags were sent to landfill. In the six months to October 2013, about 114 tonnes of "boutique" plastic bags were sent to landfill.
Greens Assembly member Shane Rattenbury called for an extension to the ban so only compostable plastic bags or reusable bags were allowed.
People had shifted to using thicker plastic bags – both for shopping and for bin liners, he said.
“This thicker plastic remains as pollution for thousands of years. If we only allow compostable bags, they will no longer be problematic for landfill."
He also called for a national ban, and said since the ACT ban, three other jurisdictions had introduced bans on lightweight bags.
“The ban has produced some good results, but it’s now time to do more to reduce waste, emissions, litter and protect wildlife," he said.
The review found that the ban remains well supported by Canberrans, but many people remain unconvinced about how good it is at reducing the amount of plastic going to landfill or reducing litter.
And it pointed to an ongoing complaint from shop owners that people were walking off with trolleys full of unbagged groceries, and plastic shopping baskets.
As well as comparing the number of plastic and boutique bags going to landfill, the review totalled the weight of plastic bags, finding that about 266 tonnes of plastic bags overall – including the single-use bags, some woven bags, reusable plastic bags and bin liners – went to landfill in the six months before the ban, compared with about 171 tonnes overall in the six month period last year.
Sales of reusable woven bags (made from materials such as nylon, polypropylene or PVC) also increased significantly when the ban was introduced, but have fallen back to pre-ban levels. The report estimates that only 30 per cent of these bags are sent to landfill, or 4.6 tonnes in the six months to October last year.
While sales of bin liners were expected to jump, people saying they had been using plastic bags for the purpose, sales were less than expected and had largely fallen to pre-ban levels, the report said.
No data is collected on the kids of litter caught in stormwater traps, but a waste removal contractor told the reviewers that plastic bags were a common find before the ban and rare now. The most common types of litter removed were now plastic drink bottles, tennis balls and drink cans. Litter audits from the Keep Australia Beautiful network also suggested a reduction in litter.
The government commissioned a survey of 602 Canberrans in March this year. It found 65 per cent support for the ban, up from 58 per cent two years ago. But 68 per cent did not want the ban widened to cover all plastic bags.
While 59 per cent of people believe banning plastic bags helps the environment, just 49 per cent believe it reduces plastic going to landfill and 44 per cent believe it reduces litter.
The survey found older Canberrans are much more likely to take bags with them when they go shopping, with rates falling off among younger people. More than 80 per cent of people aged 41 or over take bags always or most of the time. Among 25 to 30 year olds the figure drops to 64 per cent.
Environment Minister Simon Corbell said the review justified the ban, which was "a prime example of how legislation can drive change and promote behavioural change by the community".
