NSW under pressure after Victoria bans single-use plastic bags

Pressure has been put on the New South Wales government after Victoria announced it will ban single-use plastic bags. 

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday committed his state to joining South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, Northern Territory and ACT in implementing a ban next year.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has previously said NSW didn't need a ban because the big supermarkets chains were phasing them out anyway.

But according to Greenpeace Australia research, no government ban means 1.1 billion single-use bags not distributed by supermarkets will continue to be discarded in NSW each year.

"Letting supermarkets lead the state on environmental issues would be weak," Greenpeace's Simon Black said in a statement.

"The premier's inaction is disgraceful.

"That's billions of bags that Berejiklian is letting end up in our waterways and landfill."

NSW Opposition leader Luke Foley also called for Ms Berejiklian to act.

"Not a single leader in the country agrees with her about plastic bags - and neither does the community," he said in a statement.