Why arnt the supermarkets made to withdraw the plastic bags and go back to either paper bags or people bring their own? While they are at it maybe they can try to cut back on the large amount of plastic wrapping that products are encased in.

As members of the community that aren't involved with supermarkets beyond purchasing groceries it extremely easy for people to say that people should be made to bring their own bags or to use paper ones, however as an employee of a supermarket this is viewed by me as a ridiculous ideology.

The simple fact of the matter is that no matter how much people complain about plastic bags they make up an extremely small amount of waste in the nation's landfills and yet they are essential to retail stores.

As an employee of a supermarket I see that whilst a great deal of customers do bring their own shopping bags and/or try to get much less plastic bags this number is easily matched by the amount of people asking for more plastic bags and justifying this need by saying that they use said bags just like the article says, in place of heavy duty rubbish bags, kitchen tidies etc.

Ultimately, whilst I agree people should attempt to reduce their needs for these bags It isn't really realistic to place some sort of penalty on people simply because they wish their groceries to be carryable.

Legilsation has a habit of unintended consequences. I agree with prior comments that banning or charging will simply result in substitutes likely worse as home users buy heavier guage rubbish tidy liners. The do-gooders need to think better.
Presumably the anti-plastic baggers are really about waste going to landfills. Fixing rubbish is easy. Try waste to energy which recaptures the energy for use while eliminating landfills.

Make all plastic shopping bags biodegradable - this would completely eliminate the problem of plastic bags in landfill and waterways.

This was implemented in Ireland several years ago and it was a great success. People adapted quickly and after being charged a few times at the supermarket and brought in their own reusable bags.
We like all types of containers, especially baskets.. As we are now an economic 'basket case'... :)

it's great to see that the packaging council have moved from cold to lukewarm in their support for the idea of reducing the number of plastic shopping bags used.

They have the responsibility for working with their members to develop an effective product stewardship process for these bags under the packaging accord.

So far it seems that the best idea they can come up with is a one way trip to the landfill. Does not give me a lot of confidence in their ability to find good solutions for other packaging materials!

Sorry Paul, but I come from the next generation way of thinking. I studied in Canada, then immigrated here after being very effected by Canada's exploitation of its natural resources and the culture built around that in Western Canada.

As a mother of two young children, I have struggled with the issues of living in an ethical way. I'm not worried about people throwing down litter in the city nearly as much as I am about the fact that they never recycle-- even bottle and cans which are recyclable. I would like to address your assumption that if people don't have their plastic film grocery bags, they will certainly go out and buy heavy plastic liners for their landfill rubbish. In my experience, people who are actually making an effort to change their habits wouldn't do that. Firstly, Good magazine, the magazine for sustainable living in NZ, had an idea of using newspaper. But for me personally, I have really thought about this, and why not use the yellow trash bag directly? If I ever did need to use plastic to wrap anything, there is so much plastic on every product, that I always have a pile of it to use. However, a much better alternative is to never use plastic bags for anything. You can use hard plastic containers for kids lunches and sandwiches, and any purpose which you would use plastic wrap. Then, to reduce the rubbish, you just have to start choosing products which are more responsible in their packaging (or make your own bread e.g.) Worm farming or compost bins reduce unnecessary waste as well. There are ways.

When I first decided to stop taking plastic bags, it was a big step. I hadn't realized how often I get one until I stopped. It wasn't easy. However, I believe that this point of departure in thinking is what makes this step so important.

I believe that although it is really hard, we can find ways, creatively, to adapt our very set ways. If we can't, we have failed as a society.

I believe it is people who lack imagination about the future who should be stigmatized as lacking survival skills, not those who can.