Australia Has Cut Its Plastic Bag Use By 80 Percent In Just 3 Months

Australia has slashed its plastic bag habit by up to 80 percent within just three months, according to Australia’s National Retail Association, which is some great news for platypuses, dugongs, and pig-nosed turtles. Remarkably, this drop in plastic bag consumption did not come directly from any government policy, it was effectively a business decision. This sharp turn around is largely thanks to two of the largest supermarket chains, Coles and Woolworths, deciding to implement a nationwide ban on free lightweight plastic grocery bags in July, replacing them with reusable bags sold for 15 cents.