--- title: "An Australian Ban Kept Billions of Plastic Bags From Polluting" description: "When two Australian chains banned plastic bags three months ago, it led to an 80 percent reduction in the country's overall consumption of plastic bags." date: "2018-12-02" modified: "2018-12-02" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/australian-ban-kept-billions-of-plastic-bags" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "coles" - "national retail association" - "the digest" - "woolworths" --- # An Australian Ban Kept Billions of Plastic Bags From Polluting ![When two Australian chains banned plastic bags three months ago, it led to an 80 percent reduction in the country's overall consumption of plastic bags.]() *\Image: Pixabay\* ## Polystyrene Man There's mounting pressure on the world to grapple with its plastic addiction. Landfills and oceans alike are [choking on waste plastic](), which is made from crude oil and can take centuries to decompose. New evidence, though, suggests that small changes in plastic policy can make large changes in aggregate. When Australia's two largest supermarket chains banned plastic bags three months ago, the [*Guardian* reports](), it led to an 80 percent reduction in the country's overall consumption of plastic bags. ## The Plastics There was a [public outcry]() in Australia when retailers Coles and Woolworths pledged to ban plastic bags this past summer. Initially, things were tough: Woolworth's [blamed the move]() for falling sales, and Coles [briefly reversed]() the rule before settling on a small fee for plastic bags. But just a few months later, according to Australia's National Retail Association, the bag prohibition has made a significant environmental difference. The group estimates that it's kept some 1.5 billion bags out of the environment. ## Out of the Bag In October, the European Union [voted to completely ban single-use plastics]() by 2021 — though its member states still need to approve the law. In the meantime, Coles' and Woolworths' move shows that small changes by retailers can also help close the plastic gap. "Everyone delivering things in a package need to take responsibility for what they deliver it in," National Retail Association spokesperson David Stout told the *Guardian*. "I think there’s going to be a lot more pressure on all of us to be more aware of what we consume." **READ MORE:** [Supermarket ban sees '80% drop' in plastic bag consumption nationwide]() \[*The Guardian*\] ***More on plastic bag bans: [Kenya Becomes Latest Country to Ban Plastic Bags]()*** ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()