Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett will hand out free reusable shopping bags at Bargara Central this Saturday to help shoppers get ready for the state-wide plastic bag ban.

Mr Bennett will be joined by a small army of Boomerang Bags volunteers who will be on hand to provide shoppers with reusable bags and chat about the benefits of cutting back on plastics.

“I have been proud to partner with Boomerang Bags Bundaberg to encourage our community to reduce our reliance on plastics,” Mr Bennett said.

“We live in a region where plastic rubbish on our beaches is a daily reminder of how prevalent plastic pollution has become, and that’s exactly why I have been motivated to deliver a scheme to end single-use plastic bags in Queensland.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the benefits that we will reap from the introduction of this single-use plastic bag ban in reducing pollution of our region’s precious natural environment.

“The introduction of a lightweight, single-use plastic bag ban is an important step towards achieving a cleaner, greener environment.”

Boomerang Bags Bundaberg’s Carmen McEneany welcomed the initiative.

“I’m super excited that things are happening that encourages people to think about what plastic they are using,” Ms McEneany said.

“Every bag we don’t use is another bag that can’t go into the ocean.”

The single-use plastic bag ban will commence on July 1 and will apply to all retailers in Queenslanders which will forbid retailers from providing or selling lightweight plastic bags.

The laws will apply to supermarkets, convenience stores, take-away food stores, pharmacies, liquor stores, and other retail businesses.

Tuesday, 5 June 2018