The latest National Litter Index (NLI) for Western Australia has found the 2018 ban on lightweight plastic bags to be having a positive impact.
The report, based on Keep Australia Beautiful Council (KABC) litter counts conducted biannually across the State since 2005, says a total of 49 lightweight plastic bags were found, compared to 58 in the 2018-19 report and 93 in the 2017-18 report.
The NLI also suggests the State’s container deposit scheme, launching on 1 October, is likely to have similarly successful results.
Chair of the KABC, Michael Aspinall said that while the number of beverage containers counted in the survey was down by 15.2 per cent, those beverage containers eligible under the container deposit scheme still accounted for 40.9 per cent of the volume of litter and 12 per cent of the number of items.
“Overall, the NLI shows the number of items of litter per 1,000 square metres decreased by 1.4 per cent, with the volume of litter per 1,000 square metres decreasing by 9.4 per cent,” Mr Aspinall said.
“The largest reductions were attributed to lower levels of plastic industrial containers, soft drink cans and plastic water and soft drink bottles under one litre. The fall in beverage containers was the main contributor to the decrease in litter counted.”
He said the results of the survey showed there was good reason to be positive about people’s littering behaviour with a continuing downward trend in litter levels seen through successive NLI reports.
“In particular, it’s encouraging to see the decreasing number of littered plastic bags being found and I’m also optimistic of the likely anticipated effect of the container deposit scheme,” Mr Aspinall said.
The 36-page KABC report can be accessed at this PS News link.
