Plastic bags usage cut by 34 per cent

Media Release from Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage - Senator the Hon. Ian Campbell
15 September 2005
C267/05
Plastic bags usage cut by 34 per cent
Supermarket shoppers continue to pass up on plastic bags in favour of more environmentally friendly alternatives, with a report released today showing a significant cut in usage.
The Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, said the Australian Retailers' Association report showed that lightweight plastic bag use in the three and a half years to 30 June this year had been cut by more than one billion bags – or 33.8 per cent.
"This is a very good result," Senator Campbell said.
"It is clear evidence of a change of culture by shoppers and the excellent work being done by the major supermarkets to encourage their customers to switch to reusable and other carry bags.
"The target is to achieve a cut of 50 per cent by the end of this year. That remains a challenging goal, but it is within reach if everyone keeps playing their part."
The voluntary targets agreed to by the major supermarkets and Federal, State and Territory governments under a code of practice are based on 2002 usage rates.
During 2002, Australian shoppers in all sectors used a total of 6 billion lightweight bags. Half of these were in major supermarkets.
Senator Campbell said another report, by consultants Nolan ITU, showed that in the first half of this year, shoppers in all sectors used 2.15 billion bags, indicating 4.5 billion bags for the full year.
"This would mean be a cut of 1.5 billion bags since 2002 – which is a huge win for the environment," he said.
Media contact: Renae Stoikos (02) 6277 7640 or 0418 568 434

Poster Competition winners

Overall winner: Samantha Ogden Yr 7 Gladstone West State School
General winners:
Phillipa Page Yr 1 Gladstone West State School
Jackson Adnum Yr 1 Gladstone West State School
Emily Ogden Yr 5 Gladstone West State School
Liam Duff Yr 7 Gladstone West State School
Hayden Holley Yr 5 Trinity College
Joshua Wessely Yr 5 Tannum Sands State School
Brittany Booth Yr 4 Boyne Island State School
Jaiden Eddy Yr 1 Benaraby State School
Aaron Von Oettingen Age 12 St Stephen’s College
Erin Pammenter Age 11 St Stephen’s College
Kevin Upton Age 12 St Stephen’s College
Laura Darrach Yr 6 Clinton State School

All winning artwork will now be made into a 2006 calendar which should be available by mid-October.

Birds in Backyards website

Birds Australia and the Australian Museum are pleased to announce the launch today of the Birds in Backyards website www.birdsinbackyards.net
The site is designed to link old and new bird lovers alike into the magic of Australian birds. An initiative of the Sydney-based Birds in Backyards program, the site is focused on urban birds, habitats and conservation issues and is relevant for the 85% of Australians who live in urban areas. Special Features include:
· Bird Finder – name that bird! The Birds in Backyards Bird Finder, is the first comprehensive tool to help you name that elusive bird on-line. It allows users to enter the size, shape and colour of a bird. This prompts identification of your bird, from an initial database of 150 species found in Sydney and other Australian east coast cities, with work underway on the final target of 800. You can also listen to the calls of 120 species
· On line Volunteer Bird Surveys Who will hear the first Koel of Spring?Where are all the Superb Fairy-wrens?
There is also extensive information about habitat, gardening for birds and some historical data on birds of Sydney.