Shoppers want ‘individual level’ environmental action as climate change ‘overwhelms’ says Minister
Environment Minister Sussan Ley says the plastic bag ban is no longer enough to reduce plastic waste and wants shoppers to be allowed to use their own containers at the deli counter.
Environment Minister Sussan Ley says shoppers should take their own containers to the deli to reduce plastic waste, claiming we’re embracing “heavy-handed action”.
Ms Ley, who was returned to Cabinet by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, said paying for plastic bags at the supermarket was no longer enough and that other shops could do more to reduce the use of plastic.
She said people going to the deli could take their own container “as is starting to happen in some supermarkets”.
“These changes are happening with the support of customers … they’re stepping up to do this with us, they want to see a government that supports their intent to recycle and reuse and recover,” Ms Ley said.
Speaking on the Sharri show on Sky News, she would not be drawn on subsidies for renewable energy projects, or the government’s Paris targets, saying “individual” actions like ditching single-use plastics, cleaning waterways and introducing container refund schemes would be her primary focus in the portfolio.
“I do want to bring protecting the environment back to the individual level,” Ms Ley said. “It can be overwhelming to think about global problems, yes the planet is warming, yes there are issues that we have to deal with in my space — threatened species, of course the Great Barrier Reef, renewable energy — there are big issues, but ultimately there are lots of things individuals can do.”
Ms Ley said while she did not support plastic “bans”, it was clear from her own trips to the supermarket customer behaviour was changing, with more people bringing their own bags instead of paying 15c for new ones.
“I don’t want to see people on low incomes feeling unable to afford to carry their groceries out, to pay for plastic bags … so it’s really important to get this right,” she said.
She said she would work with state governments to mandate that at least 80 per cent of recyclable plastics were repurposed into different products. “The rubbish that you put in your kerb side waste today, might be in the roads you drive on tomorrow, the furniture you sit on in an outdoor park, the coffee cup you’re using, the floor tiles (or) railway sleepers,” Ms Ley said.
She also backed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s comments ruling out any exploration of nuclear power: “The bipartisan moratorium on nuclear energy generation will stay in place, the Prime Minister’s made that very clear.”
Ms Ley took over the environment role from the embattled Melissa Price, who was dumped after the election.
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