When designer Anya Hindmarch launched her “I’m not a plastic bag” in April, few could have anticipated the level of interest it would attract.
The bag was initially marketed as an eco-friendly cotton bag that would raise awareness of the need to move away from plastic bags. Many countries are moving to reduce the number of plastic bags used each year.
The use of plastic bags in other countries is still a worry. Australians use 3.92 billion plastic bags a year, that’s over 10 million new bags being used every day. An estimated 3.76 billion bags or 20,700 tonnes of plastic are disposed of in landfill sites throughout Australia every year. Australians dump 7,150 recyclable plastic bags into landfills every minute or 429,000 bags every hour.The “I’m not a plastic bag” campaign saw massive media coverage of the plastic bag issue. The bags were sold at £5 sterling, but rocketed to £200 on ebay.
FACT OR FICTION?
“In the past week controversy has arisen over claims that the “I’m not a plastic bag” bags actually contain 5% plastic.“
To find out, click “Read More”.
This is fiction.
The facts on plastic bag usage in Australia are real.
In Ireland, a “Plastic Bag Environmental Levy” has been charged on plastic shopping bags since March 2002. The levy had an immediate effect on consumer behaviour – with annual plastic bag usage per capita decreasing from an estimated 328 bags to just 21. This had an immediate benefit to our environment – with a decrease in excess of 95% in plastic bag litter. Surveys indicated that up to 90% of shoppers used long-life bags in 2003, compared with 36% in 1999.
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