July 1 will hail a hugely positive change for our marine environment, with the Queensland Government issuing a ban on all single-use plastic bags.
That’s a massive 16 million less shopping bags in the land and marine environment, annually!
Aside from the devastating environmental impacts, plastic bags are hugely responsible for a majority of marine engine issues. Aside from getting tangled up in the prop, the water intake can suck up plastic bags and cause overheating also leading to serious damage.
Alternatives to plastic bags include heavy weight plastic bags which are designed for multiple reuse, the woven polypropylene (green bags), hessian bags and freezer bags.
Remember to keep a couple of reusable bags in your car, or your boat (taking careful measure to ensure these don’t end up overboard).
If you really want to make a difference, pick up any plastic bags you encounter on the water. You wouldn’t want it getting in the way of your boating adventure, or next big catch!
For all the details on the ban, click here.
Did you know?*
- Plastic is responsible for killing 1 million sea birds and over 100,000 mammals per year;
- Around 6 million tonnes of plastic is dumped into our oceans, each year;
- The Australian Government spends $4 million each year toward cleaning up littered plastic bags;
- If an animal consumes a plastic bag, the animal’s body decomposes faster than the bag;
- Plastic bags actually don’t biodegrade, they just break up into smaller and smaller pieces.
*courtesy of change.org