Plastic Bag Ban - Queensland

From 1 July 2018, light-weight plastic shopping bags will be banned in Queensland!

Why is the plastic ban bag being introduced?

The impacts of plastic pollution on our environment and especially on our marine life are a very real concern to the Queensland Government and the community.

It is estimated that close to one billion light-weight plastic shopping bags are used in Queensland each year.

While the majority of these bags end up in landfill, around 16 million plastic shopping bags end up in the environment in Queensland each year. This is equivalent in weight to 96 small cars.

When plastic shopping bags get into waterways and the marine environment, animals such as sea turtles and sea birds can swallow or become entangled in them.

As well as their environmental impacts, littered plastic shopping bags are unsightly, can clog up infrastructure, and are difficult and costly to clean up.

Which bags will be banned?

• The ban applies to light-weight plastic shopping bags thinner than 35 microns or 0.035 millimetres 
• This includes compostable, degradable and biodegradable bags as they break down in the environment in the same way as conventional plastic shopping bags and still cause harm to the environment and wildlife
• See bottom of page for which bags are included in the ban and what’s not

When will the ban start and who does it apply to?

• The ban will begin 1 July 2018 and will apply to all retail businesses including market-stall holders and organisations which supply plastic shopping bags
• The ban applies to in-store and online sales

What retailers can do

• Check with your plastic bag supplier if you are unsure if the bags you have purchased are over 35 microns in thickness. If asked, the supplier should provide you with written proof of the minimum thickness of your bags in microns
• Provide consumers with alternatives such as reusable "green" bags, reusable "hesian" bags, reusable freezer or "cold" bags,  or heavy duty plastic bags designed for reuse or multiple uses
• Put posters up in your store to let customers know of the plastic bag ban and alternatives. Download yours  here

Will penalties apply to retailers who continue to supply banned bags?

• Yes. A retailer who is found to be supplying the banned bags after 1 July 2018 may be fined up to $6,300 per offence

What shoppers can do

• Take your reusable bags when you go shopping
• Keep a reusable shopping bag in your car, bag or by your front door so you are always prepared

While it is up to retailers to determine how they can manage excess supplies (for example, sharing them with other retailers to run down their stocks) it is very important that they do not dump them from 1 July.

Store Posters

Download

Close to one billion light-weight plastic shopping bags are used in Queensland every year...

...And up to 16 million end up as litter...

Effect on wildlife

- 90% of all seabird species have ingested plastic debris

- 30% of all sea turtles have ingested plastic debris