Monday, November 11, 2024

Tempers flare over Plastic bags in Australia

Must read

Nigerian High Commission apartments in Ghana demolished

Some new apartments built at the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana’s capital city Accra, have been demolished by bulldozers. The apartments have been constructed to...

Covid-19: Ghana records significant recovery numbers

Ghanaian health officials on Saturday said over 10,000 persons infected with the coronavirus have now recovered. The significant number of recoveries means the country now...

DR Congo: President’s ex-chief of staff jailed 20 years for corruption

The ex-chief of staff of the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been jailed 20 years by a high court. Vital Kamerhe was...

Covid-19: Zimbabwe’s health minister arrested, charged for graft

Zimbabwe's Health Minister Obadiah Moyo has been arrested over corruption allegations related to procurement of medical equipment worth $60 million. Moyo is accused of illegally...
Isaac Kaledzihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Kaledzi
Isaac Kaledzi is an experienced and award winning journalist from Ghana. He has worked for several media brands both in Ghana and on the International scene. Isaac Kaledzi is currently serving as an African Correspondent for DW.

Tempers flared in Australia over the weekend as retailers implemented a ban on single-use plastic bags.

One customer reportedly grabbed a shop assistant by the throat, while another called staff “money-grabbing scum”.

The ban on single-use bags is part of a national push to reduce waste. Retailers in four of six Australian states now face fines for using them.

More than 60 countries including the UK have now introduced bans or levies on single-use bags, according to the UN.

The UN environment agency estimates that up to 5 trillion single-use bags are consumed worldwide each year.

Australian chain Woolworths introduced a ban on the bags on 20 June, ahead of the 1 July deadline, offering reusable bags for 15 cents (£0.08; $0.11) instead.

But customer “bag rage” pushed the chain to reverse the policy and offer the reusable bags for free until 8 July.

“They just want a little extra help from us to get through the transition,” said Claire Peters, Woolworths managing director, in a statement.

Another chain, Coles, said it would open every checkout lane on Sunday to reduce queue lengths and put on extra staff to explain the change to customers.

“We are taking a proactive step,” a Coles spokesperson said.

A retail staff union urged customers to treat staff members with respect.

“While we understand that some customers may be frustrated by this change, there is absolutely no excuse for abusive or violent behaviour towards retail staff,” said Gerard Dwyer, national secretary of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association.

The union surveyed 132 of its members and said 57 reported suffering abuse over the ban.

How is so much plastic getting into the oceans?

More than 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the world’s oceans each year, according to UN, which has called for single-use bags to be eliminated completely by 2022.

The main way that plastic gets into the seas is via the world’s major rivers. Research suggests that 95% of plastic is transported in this way. Eight of these rivers are found in Asia.

The majority comes from China, but Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam also rank among major polluters.

Consumer behaviour in developed countries including the UK, Europe and the US is also a major factor in pushing plastic into the world’s waters.

According to figures, US citizens produce around 120kg (264lbs) of plastic waste per person every year. The UK produces around 76kg (167lbs) of waste while in Sweden, it’s around 18kg (40lbs).

Turning Plastics into alternative building material

What’s the rest of the world doing?

Last December, 193 countries committed to a UN plan to stop plastic waste entering the oceans. But the commitment is not legally binding and doesn’t have a timetable, and different countries have adopted different schemes.

Around 40 have banned single-use plastic bags, with charges or outright prohibitions in place in China, Bangladesh. and about 15 African countries.

Other nations, including the UK, are moving to ban plastic straws and cotton buds.

 

Source: BBC

- Advertisement -

More articles

- Advertisement -

Latest article

Nigerian High Commission apartments in Ghana demolished

Some new apartments built at the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana’s capital city Accra, have been demolished by bulldozers. The apartments have been constructed to...

Covid-19: Ghana records significant recovery numbers

Ghanaian health officials on Saturday said over 10,000 persons infected with the coronavirus have now recovered. The significant number of recoveries means the country now...

DR Congo: President’s ex-chief of staff jailed 20 years for corruption

The ex-chief of staff of the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been jailed 20 years by a high court. Vital Kamerhe was...

Covid-19: Zimbabwe’s health minister arrested, charged for graft

Zimbabwe's Health Minister Obadiah Moyo has been arrested over corruption allegations related to procurement of medical equipment worth $60 million. Moyo is accused of illegally...

Ghana’s new law that jails citizens not wearing facemask 10 years

Ghanaians who fail to wear the face masks in compliance with a presidential directive risk going to jail for ten years. They also face a...