Plastic shopping bags will be banned across the Northern Territory from September this year, as part of a wider plan by the Territory government to reduce waste and environmental impact.
Environment Minister Karl Hampton has announced that the total ban will come into effect in on September 1, with a gradual phase out beginning in May.
“Approximately 40 million single-use plastic bags are consumed in the Territory each year, creating landfill, litter and killing our wildlife,” Mr Hampton said.
Territorians are being encouraged to buy reusable shopping bags at the supermarket, in the hope that this practice will become habit by the time the full ban comes into effect.
The NT Government plan sets a hopeful precedent for other jurisdictions in Australia. Eliminating disposable plastic bags is an important step toward a sustainable future.
As an environmentally-conscious business, we at Envirosafe Solutions will be watching how the NT scheme unfolds with keen interest. We hope that the plan will succeed and a similar strategy will soon be adopted by state governments around the country.
