Banning lightweight plastic shopping bags in Queensland

Around 900 million lightweight plastic shopping bags are used in Queensland each year.

Single-use plastic bags pose real threats to wildlife, marine and land environments. They often end up in our waterways, polluting and endangering marine life.

The Queensland Government wants to reduce the amount of plastic pollution in our environment by introducing:

• a ban on the supply of lightweight, single-use, supermarket-style, plastic shopping bags
• complementary voluntary action to reduce the use of heavier-weight, department store plastic bags.

The ban is planned to come into effect on 1 July 2018 after extensive consultation and preparation, to allow retailers and consumers to adjust to the change.

Have your say on the discussion paper

The Queensland Government has released the Implementing a lightweight plastic shopping bag ban in Queensland discussion paper.

Submissions are encouraged from interested parties, including:

• members of the public
• environment and community groups
• local councils
• retailers and retail associations.

You can provide your feedback by:

• completing the online survey, or
• emailing a written submission to waste.paper@ehp.qld.gov.au, or
• posting a written submission to:

Department of Environment and Heritage Protection
ATTN: Waste Policy and Legislation
GPO Box 2454
Brisbane QLD 4001

Submissions close at 5pm Monday 27 February 2017.

Answer an online survey

• Banning lightweight plastic shopping bags in Queensland

  The Queensland Government seeks to reduce the amount of plastic pollution in our environment with a proposal to introduce:
  • a ban on the supply of lightweight, single-use, supermarket-style, plastic shopping bags
  • complementary voluntary action to reduce the use of heavier-weight, department store plastic bags.