The Western Cape has taken its first steps in combating plastic bag usage across the country.<\/p>\n
In a motion passed at the Western Cape DA\u2019s Provincial Congress on Saturday, the party pledged to pass legislation that would prohibit the of vest-type plastic shopping bags unless they:<\/p>\n
The motion was led by the DA’s shadow minister of Tourism,\u00a0James Vos,\u00a0 who said that less\u00a0than 1% of the 350 million vest-type plastic shopping bags (PSBs) purchased in the Western Cape each year are recycled.<\/p>\n
“Instead they end up in landfills or blow out of bins or garbage trucks\u2014 blocking storm drains, getting stuck in trees or littering rivers and beaches \u2013 all highly undesirable outcomes.”<\/p>\n
“In nature, plastic breaks into smaller pieces, but never fully disappears \u2013 it breaks up<\/em> not down<\/em>, contaminating our food and water,” he said.<\/p>\n This meant that municipal governments had to spend vast amounts of money to clean up PSBs and to repair the damage caused by them – money that is better spent elsewhere, he said.<\/p>\n You can read the full motion here<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
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