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Plastic bag initiative welcomed by Council Latrobe City’s Waste Engineer Matthew Peake, Cr Graeme Middlemiss, shopper Judy Hall and Bunnings Mid Valley Manager Rob Martin. A ten-cent levy introduced by the Bunnings Warehouse chain on disposable plastic bags provided to customers at checkouts has been commended by Latrobe City Council & the Litter Prevention taskforce By Latrobe City Council - 2nd October 2003 - Back to News Latrobe City Mayor and Chair of the Litter Prevention Taskforce, Councillor Graeme Middlemiss, said that initial estimates by management at Bunnings Mid Valley Store had revealed that plastic bag use had been cut by 60% since the levy was introduced in mid-September.
"This is an incredible result that bodes well for the environment and is a great example for shoppers and other retail stores to follow," Cr Middlemiss said.
In a partnership with the Keep Australia Beautiful National Association Inc 100% of the monies raised through the ten-cent levy are being donated to Keep Australia Beautiful for use in community-based environmental campaigns.
As well as introducing the levy, Bunnings have been offering a number of alternatives to customers at the checkout, including free, reused cardboard boxes - which are recyclable, as well as a range of reusable bags.
Latrobe City’s Waste Engineer, Matthew Peake, said plastic bags are a major problem because they can last anything up to a thousand years in the environment before breaking down. "They also escape into the environment easily, floating in the air and water, contaminating our countryside and waterways and causing numerous hazards for wildlife," Mr Peake said.
Bunnings Mid Valley Manager, Rob Martin, said the decision to implement the levy was in response to growing community concern over the environmental impact of plastic bags, and Bunnings' desire to make a difference.
"Bunnings was encouraged with the results of a recent campaign, where staff at our registers proactively asked all customers whether they wanted a bag. Many said no and the volume of plastic bags being used dropped by about 27%," Mr Martin said.
"This gave us the confidence to extend our campaign on plastic bags by introducing the levy and extending the range of carry bag options available to customers.
"The response from our customers has been magnificent and it is obvious they are generally very appreciative of what we are doing. People are realising they often don’t need a plastic bag with their purchase," Mr Martin added.
Cr Middlemiss said more than half a million plastic bags are used by shoppers in the Latrobe Valley every week. "These bags are one of the greatest environmental challenges facing communities, yet if we act responsibly, we can eradicate the problem," Cr Middlemiss said.
"Any action that we as shoppers can take to reduce or eliminate plastic bags from our shopping habits, such as refusing plastic bags when we don’t really need them, or using recyclable shopping bags instead of plastic shopping bags at the supermarket, is going to help our environment," Cr Middlemiss added.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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