Economic Analysis: Plastic Carryout Bag Ban in NSW (OLET1139)

This essay analyzes the economic arguments surrounding the implementation of a plastic carryout bag ban in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It begins by outlining the nature of the plastic waste problem in Australia, emphasizing the environmental impact of plastic pollution. The essay then delves into how individuals make decisions from an economic perspective, considering factors such as cost-benefit analysis and behavioral economics. It explores how plastic bag bans can influence consumer behavior and the potential changes in consumption patterns. The essay reviews existing evidence on the effectiveness of bag bans and other related policies, evaluating their success in achieving desired environmental goals. Furthermore, the essay examines the economic consequences of such policies, including potential impacts on businesses, employment, and consumer behavior. Finally, it provides policy recommendations and conclusions based on the economic analysis, offering insights to the NSW Environmental Protection Agency to help them decide whether or not to implement a plastic carryout bag ban. The essay uses economic arguments to assess the costs and benefits of the ban, considering both positive and negative effects on various stakeholders.

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Contents
Brief the nature of plastic problems faced by Australia.........................................................................2
Issue and Facts about Plastic Waste and Litter......................................................................................2
Discussion of Plastic Carryout Bag Bans..............................................................................................2
Imposition of law to ban plastic.............................................................................................................2
Policy Recommendation and Conclusion..............................................................................................4

Brief the nature of plastic problems faced by Australia
The current statistics of spoiling environment can be minimised through banning use of
plastic bags and littering.This will lead to conservation of ecosystem, minimise the
consumption, reducing littering, reducing waste to landfills, which aims to restrict the supply
of plastic bags. The phase has changed in nearly 2003, in the Tasmanian town of Coles bay
where it became the first city in Australia where the light weight bags were banned. Once in
2008, Peter Garrett released the news of nationwide plastic ban by year end, but the idea was
withdrew due to cost of living and argue among state and territory government (Queensland
Government, 2019a).
Issue and Facts about Plastic Waste and Litter
Although "Zero waste" program introduced in South Africa in October 2008 which led to
state wide light weight bags ban. All these changes occur in our lifestyle due to extreme
utility of plastic, which can conveniently learn by the theory of causation, has four causes that
are formal,material,efficient and final cause. Marine life enters in danger, turtles can choke
on plastic bags, and seabirds can mess with it. All in all it affects human life also. The theory
of causation shows the effect of cause and effect relationship, which shows the impact of
plastic waste and litter issue on lives of people and oceans.For example- supply of plastic
bags used for retail shopping to carry the goods from retailer have the thickness of35 microns
(Willis, Maureaud, Wilcox, & Hardesty, 2018).

Discussion of Plastic Carryout Bag Bans
Imposition of law to ban plastic
Under the Australian law, the effect of plasticpollution on environment is on the marine life,
which has become an area of concern.The plastic was banned because majority of plastic
bags, nearly 16 million plastic shopping bags have ended in environment, which is equivalent
to 96 small cars(Queensland Government, 2019b). The impact of plastic bags in waterways
shows that the mammals such as sea turtles, and sea birdsswallowed clogging the
infrastructure abs the cost of cleaning up.After analysing this situation,
QueenslandGovernment have opted for several actions with an aim to protect the
environment and also wildlife after the introduction of banning the supply single use of
lightweight plastic bags on 1 July 2018(Willis, Maureaud, Wilcox, & Hardesty, 2018). This
law has prioritised the development of plan to find actionable plan, timeframes,
andpartnership to minimise the plastic pollution in their area. The reduction plan will link the
existing plan and the policies at national level.The government continues totarget and need
for the community`s support (Moore, & Murray, 2019). Furthermore, as far as the economic
perspective is concerned, it is seen that it laid to compulsion of various.Plastic bag bans
theimprovement of economy, which ban plastic bags causing in business for the reusable
producers of bags and it also increase employment opportunities. Eliminateplastic bags can
reduce the cost of goods and store it in cost of plastic bags in its prices(Queensland
Government, 2019b).
To comply with this law, the companies will need cost to fil legacy especially “Waste
Reduction and Recycling Amendment Act 2017”, which has banned the supermarkets,
bakeries, restaurants, clothes, clothing stores, and chemists that supply plastic shopping
bags(Queensland Government, 2019c). In comply. To comply with this law,retailers select to

provide and charge for the alternative bags that further includes recyclingand reusing ofheavy
plastic bags or force the customers to use green bags, paper bags and other bags(Queensland
Government, 2019b). The law complies that if a retailer is found of using these banned bags
after 2018, 1 July so that are fined 50 penalties points. National retail association will
continue to create awareness audits in association with the retailers so that they can resolve
the issues regardingarrangement of these bags.The unintended result will reflect how
economic conditions are affected as being unexpected(Gock, Dale, Yang, Wheeler, &Faunce,
2018).Economic laws distort consumer and producer behaviour in such a way, which is not
expected.Argument on the basis of economic policies, it is seen that supermarkets are not
able to maintain the trend of green bag and cotton bags and they are adopting the trend of
plastic bags again. The result was quite appropriate but at the same time, many online sources
have doubted whether the ban has been doing harm, which is more than good.The critics say
that the law ban is not helping out to minimise the plastic waste and it shows another way for
big business to create the shoppers with hard earned (Moore, & Murray, 2019).
Policy Recommendation and Conclusion
From the conclusion drawn on the behalf of 2nd and 3rd paragraph, it is seen that the
compliance of Australia forplastic ban policy has very little impact on supermarkets and use
of plastics.It necessarily needs amendments for its plastic ban and it must be implemented as
changes in the existing policy. To combat the use of plastic bags, it is seen that it must the
penalty imposition must be increased from $50 to $500. Furthermore, this will lead to
seriousness amongst the retail store and supermarkets who find that $50 is such a small
amount (Willis, Maureaud, Wilcox, & Hardesty, 2018).Moreover, there is always a need to
surveillance the impact of law imposed to protect the marine life and ecosystem. The number
of total plastic bags must be reduced as a whole as it is mentioned earlier that it is equal to the

weight of nine cars. The weight of plastic must be checked in each area by the district
cleaning authority so that it can approach the business, which is still not banning plastic.

References
Gock, A., Dale, E., Ou-Yang, L., Wheeler, S., &Faunce, T. A. (2018). Legal Strategies to
Cure the Plastic Planet: Corporate Marriage and Public Health Regulation of Single-
Use Non-Biodegradeable Plastics. JLM, 26, 311-321.
Macintosh, A., Simpson, A., Neeman, T., & Dickson, K. (2020). Plastic bag bans: Lessons
from the Australian Capital Territory. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 154,
104638.
Moore, D., & Murray, R. A. F. F. (2019). Can the Market Decide? A Law and Economics
Analysis of Models of Legislation Banning Plastic Bags. Environmental and Planning
Law Journal, 36(3), 242-261.
Queensland Government, (2019a). How the ban is being enforced. Retrieved from:
https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/pollution/management/waste/recovery/
reduction/plastic-bags/compliance
Queensland Government, (2019c). Why the ban was introduced. Retrieved from:
https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/pollution/management/waste/recovery/
reduction/plastic-bags/about
Queensland Government.(2019b). Plastic bag ban — for retailers.Retrieved from:
https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/pollution/management/waste/recovery/
reduction/plastic-bags/retailers
Willis, K., Maureaud, C., Wilcox, C., & Hardesty, B. D. (2018). How successful are waste
abatement campaigns and government policies at reducing plastic waste into the
marine environment?. Marine Policy, 96, 243-249.