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Essay On Plastic Pollution

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Plastic pollution, it is a major killer in the worlds seas life, with over 30% of turtles worldwide and 90% of seabird species having ingested plastic debris that has contaminated their ecosystem1. One of the major contributors to this pollution is plastic bags. Each day Australians use over 10 million plastic bags, resulting in 4 billion produced every year. "An estimated 2.4 billion beverage containers and 1 billion lightweight plastic shopping bags are used in Queensland every year, ending up in our waterways and killing and maiming our native animals." – ABC News. While plastic bags represent only about 2 per cent of landfill, there is certainly sufficient scientific evidence that plastic bags do present risks to marine life and clog …show more content…

This Act follows the legislation set out by previous Australian states and federal governments that have been pushing for a ban on single-use plastic bags for almost 10 years. South Australia was the first to ban plastic bags from supermarkets in 2009, followed by the ACT in 2010, Northern Territory in 2011 and Tasmania in 2012.3 In 2016, the Queensland Government released a discussion paper on the proposed ban and it won’t be till mid 2018 when the new laws will commence in both Victoria and Western Australia as well as Queensland, with only NSW being without.5 The Act also included the beverage container refund scheme which aims to reduce the amount of plastic bottles, can, etc going to landfill in exchange for a 10-cent refund for each item. Both are set to commence on the 1st of July 2018. Under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Amendment Act 2017, the legislation in Part 3A: Banned plastic shopping bags, section 99A, is regarding the goals of the introduce law. In it it states that: The objects of this part are to: (a) reduce plastic pollution by reducing the number of plastic bags that become waste and enter the environment as litter; and (b) encourage retailers and consumers to— (i) reduce the overall use of carry bags by considering whether it is necessary on every occasion to use a bag to carry goods; and (ii) use alternative shopping

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