Dublin South West TD, Seán Crowe, has called on the Irish Government to follow the example of New Zealand by phasing out and banning single-use plastic bags.

The Sinn Féin TD said was single-use plastics was strangling and destroying our planet, and Ireland must do more to tackle this issue.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“The New Zealand government have said they are phasing-out and then banning single-use plastic bags due to the severe and damaging environmental impact that these products have.

“A United Nations report earlier this year said that up to five trillion grocery bags are used globally each year, which are nearly 10 million plastic bags produced per minute. To illustrate the extent of the problem, if tied together all these plastic bags could be wrapped around the world seven times every hour. Like most single-use plastic items, hardly any of it is recycled, and this plastic litter is ending up in our seas and rivers harming marine and river life.

“That is the reality of the crisis and there is a huge responsibility and an imperative on all of us to do more. Now is the time for showing leadership and forward thinking.

“Ireland should follow the example of New Zealand and the 40 other countries that have banned single-use plastic bags and other damaging plastic items, like microbeads.”

Crowe continued:

“Plastic production is expected to double in the next 20 years but the pollution of our environment is coming to a critical point. China, which takes 95% of this State’s plastic waste, is proposing to ban imported plastics.

“We need a radical shift in how we use plastic products and the banning of single-use plastic would be a huge but positive shift in the right direction.

“There needs to be policies put in place to address how we are dealing with our plastic waste and waste in general. To live up to our global responsibilities we need to be doing more, not marking time waiting for others to act. We need a change in mindset and business practices, and that requires an urgent change in Government policy and new legislation.

“Companies need to be discouraged and penalised for using single-use plastics unnecessarily and for using unrecyclable and unnecessary packaging.

“We also need better waste management systems, financial incentives to change consumers’ buying habits, and comprehensive research into environmentally friendly alternatives.

“I am calling on Minister for the Environment, Denis Naughton, to urgently introduce such measures and to do more to tackle this critical issue.”

ENDS