The ban will apply to bags being provided at retail outlets including supermarkets, fashion boutiques, fast food outlets, convenience stores and service stations.
These legislative changes follow an overwhelming number of responses during community consultation, supporting a ban on lightweight plastic shopping bags.
From 1 July 2019 e-waste will be banned from landfill, meaning anything with a plug, cord or battery must be deposited at designated e-waste drop-off points rather than going in kerbside bins.
This is in addition to the Labor Government’s record investment of $135 million in the waste and resource recovery industry to create a more stable and productive sector.
The WWF has released , revealing how much progress Australian states and territories have made in tackling our country's single-use plastics problem. If you're hoping for a plastic-free future sometime soon, the results are not particularly encouraging.
'The State of Plastics in Australia' Scorecard
WWF
So, which states are leading the way in cutting off single-use plastics before we use them?
South Australia has currently done the most to combat these plastics, moving to ban plastic bags back in 2009, and announcing plans to ban single-use plastic cutlery and straws earlier this year. According to the WWF, South Australia has also taken some action towards addressing the problem of plastic coffee cups, plates and containers.
Bringing up the rear are NSW and Victoria, both of which have taken no action to combat most of the 11 problem plastics the WWF identified. NSW is the only state which has yet to ban single-use plastic shopping bags. Victoria, meanwhile, is the only Australian state without a plan for a container deposit scheme (a financial incentive to recycle bottles and cans).
"South Australia's certainly leading the way -- they're one of the few states that is finally starting to move on many harmful single-use plastics, and one of the only states seriously considering acting on other plastics like styrofoam."
"There's definitely room for them to move, though. They still allow the release of balloons, which we believe is low-hanging fruit. Most states and territories ban littering, so if you chuck it at the side of the road it's not okay, but if you release it into the air it's fine."
While South Australia is currently leading the way on the plastics front, it's not the only state pulling its weight environmentally.
Tasmania is currently in the lead for renewable power generation, coming from renewables as of 2019 (the extra 4.8 per cent represents excess hydro and wind power Tasmania exports). It's followed by South Australia, where 53 per cent of power is produced by renewables, Victoria (20.9 per cent) and NSW (14.4 per cent).
Victoria, NSW and the ACT are also responsible for the lion's share of large-scale renewable energy projects currently under construction -- combined, these three states contain 6,830 of the 9,726 megawatts of .
