PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS

In reply to the Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (8 November 2011) (First Session).

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers): The Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation has been advised:

1. The State Government has engaged Ehrenberg-Bass Institute to undertake market research to identify the effect of the plastic bag ban on the community and the choices of bags that the South Australian community is making when transporting retail shopping, with a particular focus on groceries. This research will be available in 2012.

2. Information regarding the reduction of use of plastic bags in South Australia will be available after the review by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute is completed.

In the absence of complete industry sales data, the South Australian Government has extrapolated and aggregated commercial in confidence data received from one major retailer which provides the following insights into the effect of the ban:

Prior to South Australia's ban on plastic bags, 50 per cent of lightweight single use plastic bags were used in the grocery sector with the other 50 per cent used in all other retail.

In the year prior to the ban, it is estimated that approximately 400 million plastic bags were used in the grocery sector in South Australia.

It is estimated that up to 800 million plastic bags were used in total in South Australia in the year prior to the ban. In 2008-09, it was reported that plastic bag use was also increasing across Australia.

Since the ban, other than the occasional observation of use by interstate traders at fairs and events, the use of old style lightweight single use plastic bags across South Australia is negligible.

Reusable bags sold in the grocery sector in the year after the ban in South Australia are estimated to be up to 84,000 per week or approximately 4 million bags in 2010.

It is unknown how many reusable bags are sold in the non-grocery retail sectors.

Purchases of reusable bags reportedly reduced from 2009 to 2010 however still remain strong.