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BAG BOOST
Hated plastic bags ain’t hated no more:
A leaked report prepared for the Federal Government has revealed that the use of plastic shopping bags in Australia increased by almost 1 billion last year.
It mightn’t have leaked if it had been in a plastic bag; just one of the reasons we love them. Still, four billion plastic bags each year; no wonder the government was considering a one-dollar levy. They could fund four extra ABCs.
UPDATE. Readers question the numbers.
What the hell are we supposed to carry home our groceries in? Paper sacks? How many trees would that require?
And don’t even suggest those gawd awful canvas totes. My wife buys over $200 of groceries a week. (I have teenage sons). She would KICK—MY—ARSE—if I suggested she use canvas tote bags.
When it comes to women running households, one steps every so lightly when making suggestions as to how they could do it better.
Posted by wronwright on 2008 03 20 at 11:16 AM • permalinkAnd if memory serves me correctly, wasn’t it paco that was suggesting paying a levy of $1 a plastic bag. Kind of makes sense why he’s been stockpiling hundreds boxes of plastic bags in his warehouses near kae’s home. But I do wonder what kae’s involvement is.
Posted by wronwright on 2008 03 20 at 11:20 AM • permalink(wronwright quickly moves behind highback chair)
I don’t think you’d help the ALP to fleece taxpayers. But I do think you and paco would exploit the ALP to fleece the taxpayers and siphon the funds to paco’s black op slush fund. We share these funds equally kae. Some of that should go to my budget.
Moving Russian lakes ain’t cheap you know.
Posted by wronwright on 2008 03 20 at 01:39 PM • permalinkWronwright:
We’ve been putting your cut in plastic bags and leaving them in that big container you’ve been wheeling out to the street on garbage pick-up days. Wait...that container is your private overnight deposit box, isn’t it?
Math problem for you quantitative types out there: how many plastic bags filled with helium would it take to float Al Gore half-way across the Atlantic?
In one year we managed to used an extra billion plastic bags.
1,000,000,000 divided by 23 million comes out at about 43.
Australians, man woman and child, used an extra 43 bags each last year.
Somebody’s numbers are screwy here. Either that or I’m excessively cynical.Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2008 03 20 at 03:47 PM • permalinkThe SMH is saying we used 4 billion or 22 million tonnes of bags last year.
Are they suggesting every Australian uses 1 tonne of bags per year? Or do they mean each plastic bag weighs 5.5kg? The ABC News last night repeated the 22 million tonnes figure.
The woman from the retailers association seemed bewildered by the figure and was asking to see the report before commenting.
I smell a rat. Garrett has go someone to deliberately inflate the figures because support for a ban or a levy was waivering under the weight of common sense. Garrett has previously been caught inflating figures. Such as here
you know, I remember that incredible story about a whale, I think it was beached somewhere in France, and it had 800 ks worth of plastic bags and rubbish inside it, when they opened it up.
It was 800 grams
Everyone is aware that both the state and feds have committed themselves to a complete phase out of bags by 2008?
Heres the site for the government funded nobs.
It’s governments’ intention to phase-out the lightweight plastic carry bags used by many retailers by the end of 2008.Whats the alternative they suggest you ask.
Heres one
“..Biodegradable plastic bags are often made from farmed products like cornstarch, which, in the right conditions, will break down into elements like carbon dioxide, water and methane. Biodegradable bags are generally best suited to composting and may contribute to methane emissions if sent to landfill..”Methane is a far more potent “greenhouse gas” than CO2 is, so that makes these caring types warmanistas instead.
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2008 03 20 at 08:20 PM • permalinkContrail:
Hilarious!
Is 1000-fold inflation some sort of government policy?Posted by arrowhead ripper on 2008 03 20 at 11:20 PM • permalinkIn actual fact I am aware that between 2003 and 2005, single use plastic bag usage declined by 45% in Australian retail shops. This is regarded as a failure, however, as the retailers had promised to reduce them by 50%.
Better levy them out of existence then. let the consumers buy specially made bags for their garbage/nappies/clothes etc. At least gaia will be happy.
I was dissapointed that the representative of retailers failed to mention the Productivity Commission’s report, on waste management, the main finding of which was that the Minister is a slapheaded congenital idiot. I’m a little cynical over the attidue of the retail sector to this- certainly they’re sensitive to how gullible the average punter is and have been browbeaten over this issue for some time, but if bags are banned or levied there’s a quid in it for them, hence the lack of real opposition to any moves. I like Bob Brown’s idea of a financial incentive as well- to slap a levy on bags; it explains Green economic policy when a charge on a free item is an “incentive”. Likewise the ABC cretin running the item editorialised that “attitudes must change"- who died and put her in charge? Here’s another worthy use for the much maligned plastic bag- it’s proliferation at the ABC and parliament would improve both establishments immensely.
yes, it is interesting that any CBA on the removal of plastic bags neglects the issue of secondary uses, and assigns a value of $1 per bag of environmental benefit in order to get the outcome they want.
It will be interesting to see how they put a charge on the bags. It will be expensive to collect, and of course, in the CBA they assume that a tax cut will occur to offset the cost of the levy. Otherwise it might not come out with the benefit they want.
Of course, that won’t happen, so they are looking at a compulsory retail charge for the bag instead - which will of course just end up in the pockets of the retailers. This might be why the complaints are, shall we say, muted?
#4, Besides, what makes you think that we’d help the enemy ALP in any plan to fleece taxpayers?
Surely you mean mulesing taxpayers?
You’re not helping to mules them are you?Posted by carpefraise on 2008 03 21 at 03:24 AM • permalink
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Waste of money.
Maybe that’s how they’re going to bring equivalent medical services to aboriginal communities. Should fund a hospital or two.