Australia is in hot debate over environmental policy right now — back in April, the State and Federal Environment Ministers introduced the idea of placing a tariff on disposable plastic bags that was promptly shut down, but now the Australian Greens Party is trying again. Meanwhile, just yesterday South Australian officials put forward to Parliament a motion to ban plastic bags entirely by the end of the year.

Of course, some other parties are getting quite riled up over all of this, namely the Australian National Retailers Association. (Naturally.) ANRA CEO Margy Osmond spoke out on the issue after South Australia made its legislative gesture:

“The South Australian Government’s plan to ban plastic bags is not justified and will mean confusion for shoppers and shop workers alike… Nearly all Australians re-use or recycle their supermarket bags – using them to line their garbage bins or pick up after their dogs,” she claimed. “According to government figures, about 98 per cent of plastic bags are recycled or disposed of in landfill. Plastic bags make up a very small fraction of landfill waste. All plastic constitutes just four percent of landfill.”

“In 2009, South Australians will have to buy green bags and bin liners,” Mrs Osmond added. “When Ireland banned the plastic bag, there was a 77 per cent increase in the sale of bin liners.”

I find it unendingly hilarious that the best retort anyone can ever come up with the combat a plastic bag ban is: “Oh, but I use plastic bags to pick up after my dog! That’s recycling!” Seriously, if you are all so passionate about this issue, can you not think of anything better? Oh, well there’s trash can liners, as well. Whenever one mentions the 77% liner sale increase, I feel compelled to rebuke the misleading claim.

Some Irish stores have increased their sales of kitchen bin liners by up to 77%. If you look beyond the percentages the actual numerical figures illustrate the tremendous success of the Irish bag levy:

* A 90% reduction in plastic check-out bag usage resulted in an estimated 1.15 billion less plastic bags being given away at the checkout every year.

* The 77% increase in kitchen bin liner sales only increased the amount sold by an estimated maximum of 70 million plastic bags.

Therefore there is an overall reduction in plastic bag usage of over 1.08 billion plastic bags.

So, there goes that argument. What’s left? Raining confusion down upon shoppers? I think it’s sad that the ANRA puts so little faith in the average consumer. It’s almost insulting to their intelligence, really. The method has had wild success in most countries where it has been implemented, so to think that Australian shoppers would be left helpless and mind-boggled is quite an underestimation, one should think.

That said, cheers to the Australian government for forging ahead, in the face of the horrors of possible confusion and alternative dog-minding methods, and making headway for environmental change. Here’s hoping it passes.

Photo via Flickr!