The Canberra community has been complimented for its strong support for phasing out unnecessary and dangerous single-use plastic items, uncovered in a consultation period earlier this year.
The Minister for Recycling and Waste Reduction, Chris Steel released the consultation summary from the discussion paper Phasing out single-use plastics.
Mr Steel said that during the consultation there were 3,300 interactions, including survey responses, submissions, YourSay comments and attendance at several community and business information sessions.
“Canberrans strongly held the view that action needs to be taken to phase-out single-use plastics with a transition to readily available alternatives,” Mr Steel said.
“We benchmarked the results of the consultation, and were high levels of support for action across both the general community and those who responded directly to the consultation,” he said.
“Importantly the huge majority of the community supports strong government regulatory action to ban problematic and unnecessary single-use plastics, rather than just non-regulatory responses.”
Mr Steel said that of those who responded to the consultation community survey, 94 per cent supported a phase-out of polystyrene; 93 per cent supported a phase-out of plastic stirrers and straws; 92 per cent supported a phase-out of plastic lined coffee cups or lids; 91 per cent supported a phase-out of plastic cutlery; and 91 per cent supported a phase-out of plastic plates and cups.
He said that of the ACT residents surveyed as a general community, 77 per cent supported banning single-use plastic straws; 71 per cent supported banning plastic-lined takeaway coffee cups; 68 per cent supported banning single-use plastic takeaway containers; and 58 per cent supported banning thicker plastic bags.
The 45-page Engagement Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
