Coastal MPs seek a plastic bags ban taken by other states

Mr Speakman told Parliament it was time NSW considered the step, which had already been taken by South Australia, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and the ACT and in many countries around the world.

Mr Evans will present a film night for MPs this month that will show the environmental damage caused by the bags.

An invitation from the Plastic Bag Free NSW campaign said there was "widespread momentum in communities around NSW right now to ban single-use plastic shopping bags — including in your electorate".

MPs were told Australians used more than 4000 million plastic checkout-style bags a year, and threw out more than 7000 a minute.

The bags were used for 12 minutes on average, but took up to 1000 years to break down, the invitation said.

Environment Minister Rob Stokes was non-committal about a ban.

"We continue to look for new ways to reduce the use and environmental impact of plastic bags," he said.

"I have asked the Environment Protection Authority to consider new options to reduce the impacts of plastic bags in NSW."

Mr Stokes said the government had committed $20 million to combat litter in partnership with councils and community organisations.

"This work will help decrease the impact of plastic bags in the environment as we aim to meet our ambitious litter targets," he said.

Mr Speakman told the Leader that as a representative of a coastal electorate, he believed he had "a duty to give [the government] a bit of a nudge when I think they need it".

SPEAKMAN’S CASE

Mark Speakman cited ANSTO research to support his argument when he spoke in Parliament.

He told how he and Mr Evans recently joined other community representatives on a cruise in the  ketch  Yukon on Port Hacking and out to sea.

ANSTO had chartered the vessel from Hobart to Sydney to trawl for plastics while studying the impact of plastic pollutants on marine life and the food chain.

‘‘We trawled what I consider to be a surprising amount and variety of plastic in and around Port Hacking, despite the relatively clean nature of that waterway,’’ he said.

Mr Speakman said ANSTO scientists  Richard Banati and John Dodson had spoken about their research, including collaborative work with Monash University conservation biologist Dr Jennifer Lavers.

‘‘This research suggests that plastic pollution is having a greater impact on seabirds than previously thought,’’ he said.

‘‘The many environmental risks of plastics have been long known, such as marine life choking on plastics, but the research to which I referred shows that plastic pollution is finding its way into the tissues of marine wildlife.

‘‘Toxins absorbed by plastic are transferred to the animal that ingests it.’’

Mr Speakman said the research suggested —  contrary to expectations — plastics that degrade in the environment were not necessarily safer for wildlife because the increased surface area as they broke down could worsen the release of toxins such as cadmium and mercury.

Should checkout-style, plastic shopping bags should be banned?