Bid launched to make Freo entirely free of plastic bags

COULD Fremantle become a plastic bag-free city?

A campaign to drive sustainable use of plastics by businesses and residents was launched on Saturday, aiming to recognise businesses already avoiding supplying plastic bags and encourage others to follow suit.

Plastic Free Fremantle spokeswoman Lisa Griffin said she had originally envisaged Fremantle banning the use of plastic bags, but having spoken to businesses quickly realised that many were already taking steps to reduce their use.

“We thought why don’t we first off give recognition to those businesses already doing it,” she said.

“That would possibly make those businesses not doing it think twice and stop giving away plastic bags.”

On Saturday, the group gathered outside Old Shanghai food hall gathering signatures on a petition to gauge community support for the initiative.

Ms Griffin said when they had enough they would present it to Fremantle council.

“I can’t think of any reason people would fight for plastic bags,” she said.

“It’s not like we’re saying plastic is evil. We call plastics disposable and they’re not, everything made of plastic ever made is still with us, in the atmosphere, in landfill or in the ocean.

“We consider it single use and it’s not, it’s a really good re-usable substance but we’re using it for the wrong things.”

Businesses that support the campaign will receive a poster in their shop front advertising their support.

What everyone else is thinking

Wade

02/11/2011

Look, its about being ACCOUNTABLE. Plastic does break down, into thousands of tiny particles, still rich with all the chemicals and harmful additives that we used to create them. Most of this stuff, if it doesn't make it to the landfill, finds its way into our water systems and out into the oceans, where it is then ingested by all marine life. This is a bad thing. If you don't care too much about the marine life that suffers from it then at least realise that these plastic chemicals make thier way back onto your plate and into your bloodstream via the fish we eat.
We cant keep living the way we do, thinking we don't have an impact on the natural environment that surrounds us. Time to take responsibility.
This initiative is a small VITAL step in that direction, which is likely to have a significant positive effect in they way we interact and integrate with our world.
These single use plastics need to go completely, all you need to do is remember to bring along your own...its not hard!

Stanley

30/10/2011

Plastic bags at the check outs are NOT FREE, they are payed for in the markup applied to all items to cover operating overhead costs. What I see here is another business trying to sell unsuspecting shoppers expensive substitute PLASTIC coated reuseable bags. Years ago we had plastic bags that did breakdown easy untill PVC aditives were added to make them soft amd more flexable. That changed manufacturing speeds from about 100 bags permin. to over 500 permin. Will the people that say "no plastic bags" provide their bags FREE of charge ?

Leena

27/10/2011

I hope it won't take long for Freo, and the rest of Australia for that matter, to be free of free plastic bags! Being from a country where you've had to buy plastic bags for as long as I can remember it's hard to believe they still give you those without a charge! Quite unbelievable really... In Finland people always carry their own shopping bags, and if they buy the bags from the shop they will use them numerous times as they are much better quality than the free bags people throw out after only one use. I sincerely hope that people start appreciating plastic bags and not treat them as one-use items! Good luck with the campaign!

Judy Troy

26/10/2011

No to free plastic shopping bags, was introduced into the Northern Territory from 1st September and it has worked well. Only thing that has irked me, is that the cost of these bags were cost facted into everyday groceries but am yet to see the cost reduction passed on to the shopper.

Sasha

All plastic bags for shopping is what was meant not every plastic bag in the universe now that would be impossible!!

It is not only Freo that needs to be rid of all plastic bags, everywhere needs to do it to make it work and worthwhile!!

Metal Mother

Nice try but have your read Choice Magazine this month? In South Australia this was tried and guess what plastic bag consumption doubled because people were buying plastic bags from the supermarket as they could not reuse the ones from the shops. Glad Bags and other plastic bag manufacturers never had it so good. Try banning plastic bags when you are dealing with hospital patients, children, babies, the elderly and the disabled and dogs. You will have more than a loo with a view. You will have serious health problems to deal with. Better still why not have a campaign that says NO TO PLASTIC BAGS WHEN OFFERED THEM IN SHOPS.

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