WA's ban on lightweight plastic bags

From 1 July 2018, the supply of lightweight plastic bags will be banned  in Western Australia.

Every year billions of lightweight plastic shopping bags are supplied nationally, with around seven million littered in WA alone.

While plastic shopping bags make up a relatively small portion of solid waste and litter, they do not break down and can have devastating impacts on marine wildlife and birds.

Since its announcement, WA's plastic bag ban has been widely supported by the community and industry, including major retailers—some of the biggest suppliers of lightweight plastic shopping bags.

The ban on lightweight plastic bags will bring WA into line with other Australian states—South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory already have similar bans in place. Queensland will introduce its ban on 1 July and Victoria has announced its intention to introduce a ban.