Shoppers urged to bring their own bags when leaving home

THE Andrews Government is launching a taxpayer-funded campaign promoting reusable shopping bags ahead of a planned ban on lightweight single-use plastic bags next year.

Fifty-eight per cent of polled Victorians said they are mainly using alternatives to single-use plastic bags when food and retail shopping. Picture: AAP

VICTORIANS are being urged to bring reusable bags to shops in a taxpayer-funded campaign ahead of a planned lightweight “single-use” plastic bag ban late next year.

Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio will on Wednesday launch a Better Bag Habits promotion encouraging shoppers to take their ‘bag, wallet, keys and phone’ when leaving home.

“Victorians are already saying no to plastic bags, but this campaign will encourage everyone to make it a habit,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.

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“We’re stopping plastic pollution and ensuring Victorians are ready to live without single-use, lightweight plastic bags.”

Research commissioned by Sustainability Victoria has found one in four men rely on “single-use” plastic bags, compared with one in seven women.

It also found three-quarters of polled Victorians use them as bin liners.

Labor plans to ban lightweight, single-use plastic shopping bags in Victoria. Picture: iStock

Amid major supermarkets already scrapping free lightweight bags at check-outs, about three-quarters of those quizzed carried reusable bags for food shopping.

But higher-income households (57 per cent) and younger shoppers (54 per cent) were more likely to rely on single-use bags for non-food items; and just over one quarter (27 per cent) of young Victorians still rely on them when buying food.

The campaign, to run on social media and radio, will cost just under $40,000.

The Herald Sun has previously revealed Labor intends to legislate a ban on plastic shopping bags less than 35 microns thick, such as those used by milk bars, takeaway shops and smaller supermarkets and stores.

Smaller bags for fruit, vegetable, and meat would be exempt, along with larger garbage bags, heavier plastic bags, and animal waste bags.

The survey of 770 adults in August found 58 per cent now mainly used alternative bags for food and retail shopping.

Two-fifths used single-use plastic bags because they’d forgotten to bring a reusable bag from home.

The research found about one-third of Victorians will use lightweight plastic bags to keep shoes away from clothes in luggage; separate dirty laundry in bags; or to double-bag wet rubbish.

Three in 10 said they’d use them to pick up pet waste, or to carry items such as their lunch.

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@KarenCollierHS