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Background information
(Much of the information below on bans and fees imposed on lightweight plastic bags in different countries around the world has been drawn from a Wikipedia entry titled 'Phase-out of lightweight plastic bags'
The full text, including information about many other nations, can be accessed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_lightweight_plastic_bags)
Some of the more detailed Australian information comes from Clean Up Australia's Report on Actions to Reduce Circulation of Single-use Plastic Bags around the World: August 2015
The full text can be accessed at http://www.cleanup.org.au/PDF/au/cua_plastic_bag_usage_around_world_august-2015.pdf)
Fees and bans imposed on the use of lightweight plastic bags
In many countries of the world, there has been a phase-out of lightweight plastic bags. Single-use plastic shopping bags, commonly made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, have traditionally been given free to customers by stores when purchasing goods-a popular method considered a strong, cheap, and hygienic way of transporting items. Problems associated with plastic bags include use of non-renewable resources (such as crude oil, gas and coal), disposal, and environmental impacts.
Governments all over the world have taken action to ban the sale of lightweight bags, charge customers for lightweight bags and/or generate taxes from the stores who sell them. The Bangladesh government was the first to do so in 2002, imposing a total ban on the bag. Such a ban has also been applied in countries such as Rwanda, China, Taiwan and Macedonia. Some countries in Western Europe impose a fee per bag. Bans, partial bans, and fees have been enacted by some local jurisdictions in North America, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Myanmar. Concurrently with the reduction in lightweight plastic bags, shops have introduced reusable shopping bags.
Lightweight plastic bags in Australia
Although there is no nation-wide ban on lightweight bags, the states of South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, along with some cities have independently banned the bag. Coles Bay, Tasmania was the first location in Australia to ban the bag. The introduction of the Zero Waste program in South Australia led to its lightweight bag ban in October 2008. It is estimated that 400 million bags are saved each year.
South Australia was the first Australian state or territory to ban lightweight plastic bags beginning in May, 2009. As of July 2015, a Boomerang Alliance Survey found that 81 per cent of respondents were highly supportive of the ban.
The Northern Territory began a ban on single-use lightweight plastic bags in September 2011.
The Australian Capital Territory introduced a ban on lightweight plastic bans in November 2011.
Tasmania introduced a ban on lightweight plastic bags in 2013.
In Australia, 6 billion HDPE bags were used in 2002. Usage reduced to 5.6 billion in 2004 and to 3.9 billion in 2007.
Lightweight plastic in bags New Zealand
Despite various attempts, as of 2015, no laws have been passed in New Zealand to ban or charge for plastic bags.
Lightweight plastic bags in England
England introduced a five pence minimum charge for single use plastic bags on 5 October 2015. It applies to retailers with more than 250 employees. Unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, the English charge does not apply to paper bags or bags made from other natural materials. As with the other nations, VAT raised on sales will be collected by the Government. Retailers can choose how the money raised from bag sales is used. The Government is, however, planning on publishing information yearly on the scheme, encouraging retailers to donate the proceeds to charities.
In the first 6 months, 640 million plastic bags were used in seven major supermarkets in England, which should have raised £32 million, for which no recipient charities have yet been identified. England reported to have distributed .6 billion single-use bags during the first half year of the charge. That is 7 billion bags less than the amount of bags that were distributed in 2014.
The Climate Change Act 2008 served as the legislative framework for the regulation of plastic bags in the United Kingdom. To promote the growth of new businesses in England, retailers with less than 250 employees are exempt from the charge. Opponents to the exemption of small retailers argue that this exemption will diminish the environmental impact of the charge.
England is the last country in the United Kingdom to adopt the 5 pence charge. Prior to the introduction of plastic bag regulations, various retailers participated in voluntary actions to reduce plastic bag consumption.
Lightweight plastic bags in the United States
There is no national plastic bag fee or ban currently in effect in the United States. However, the state of California, and the territories of American Samoa and Puerto Rico have banned disposable bags.
Over 200 counties and municipalities have enacted ordinances either imposing a fee on plastic bags or banning them outright, including all counties in Hawaii.
Other attempts at banning plastic shopping bags statewide (for example in Massachusetts) have not succeeded mainly due to plastic industry lobbying.
A few jurisdictions have chosen to implement a fee-only approach to bag reduction by imposing a tax or a fee, such as Washington, D.C. and adjacent Montgomery County, Maryland.
Some US states, such as Florida and Arizona, have passed laws prohibiting bans on plastic bags statewide in order to prevent local municipalities from passing their own bans.