Impact of Plastic Bags and Environmental Pollution in Australia Report

This report examines the environmental impact of plastic bags in Australia, highlighting the issue of plastic pollution and its consequences. It discusses the significant amount of plastic waste generated annually, the detrimental effects on marine life and the environment, and the slow degradation of plastic. The report mentions the Australian government's initiatives, such as the ban on plastic bags, to combat plastic pollution and promote recycling. It emphasizes the need for strong measures to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment. The report references sources like Epa.sa.gov.au and Ocean Crusaders to support its findings, providing insights into the current state of plastic pollution and the efforts to mitigate its impact.

Running head: IMPACT OF PLASTIC BAGS
IMPACT OF PLASTIC BAGS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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IMPACT OF PLASTIC BAGS
Introduction:
Plastic is one of the biggest issues that the world is facing currently and would be the
major environmental issue in the years to come. This short essay will look into the plastic
pollution and its control in Australia. The article will look into the environmental impact of
plastic and their mitigation (Ocean Crusaders 2019).
Discussion
With the advent of the technological revolution, plastic have been one of the gifts that
have destroyed the environment like none. The impact of plastic bags in the environment and the
Australian government has taken up steps to contain the spread of plastics and reduce the impact
by means of recycling and reprocessing. As per the records of the plastic free sea, Australia
produces nearly 3 million tonnes of plastic per year of which less than 9% is recycled (Ocean
Crusaders 2019). The oceans are the most worstly affected by the plastic and nearly 130,000
tonnes of plastic end up to the Ocean every year (Epa.sa.gov.au, 2019). In fact we are surrounded
all over by plastic which takes a very long time to degrade and stays in the environment
degrading it through release of toxic chemicals and by harming marine flora and fauna.
Conclusion
The Australian government has adopted strong polices to combat plastic pollution and have
banned use of light plastic and plastic bags since May 2009. This would reduce the amount of
plastic bags rendered as waste by 400 million bags annually. It is of utmost necessity to combat

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the plastic bags through strong adoptive measures to ensure that the environment is free of
plastic pollution.
References
Epa.sa.gov.au (2019). Plastic bag ban | EPA. [online] Epa.sa.gov.au. Available at:
https://www.epa.sa.gov.au/data_and_publications/all_publications/for_councils/plastic_bag_ban
[Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].
Ocean Crusaders (2019). Plastic Statistics. [online] Ocean Crusaders. Available at:
http://oceancrusaders.org/plastic-crusades/plastic-statistics/ [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].