Plastic bag ban from 1 July

From 1 July 2018, lightweight single-use plastic bags will be banned statewide in Western Australia.

Implemented by the State Government, the ban will bring WA in line with South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory which already have plastic bag bans in place.

Queensland has also committed to a ban from 1 July, 2018.

Each year billions of single-use plastic shopping bags are supplied nationally, with around five million littered in WA alone.

While plastic shopping bags make up a relatively small portion of solid waste and litter, they are not biodegradable and can have devastating impacts on marine wildlife and birds.

Western Australians are being asked to provide input into the plastic bag ban.

Public comment is open until 9 March 2018. For more information and to provide comment, visit www.der.wa.gov.au/your-environment/wa-plastic-bag-ban.