Single-use plastic is on the out which means shoppers will no longer have the option to use plastic bags at the grocery store.
Across Australia Woolworths have implemented the ban today, 20 June, and Coles and IGA will be rolling it out nationwide on July 1.
Although it is better for the environment and a step in the right direction, it has left many wondering what alternatives they can use.
Here, FEMAIL rounds up some of the best alternatives so that plastic bags won’t be missed.
Now that major grocery stores are banning plastic bags FEMAIL has rounded up some of the best alternatives
Take reusable containers to the butcher
When people go to the butcher the butchers usually wrap up the meat and place it in a plastic bag before handing it over.
One handy tip to cut down on the plastic bag usage is by taking snap-lock containers when buying meat.
The butcher can weigh your meat before then placing it in the container, which is a simple way to cut back on using plastic bags.
One handy tip to cut down on the plastic bag usage is by taking snap-lock containers when going to the butcher
Line your bins with newspaper
There has been some concern that banning single-use plastic will result in an increase in sales of bin liners, but this doesn’t have to be the case.
Like any possible dilemma, there is a way around this problem.
One option is to use no liner at all and put the rubbish directly into it. Doing it this way would mean the bin would need to be washed out every couple of weeks.
If this seems too time consuming, using newspaper is also a great alternative.
Smelly rubbish like prawn shells can even be wrapped in newspaper and frozen until rubbish night.
There has been some concern that banning single-use plastic will result in an increase in sales of bin liners people can use newspaper instead
Smelly rubbish like prawn shells can even be wrapped in newspaper and frozen until rubbish night
Carry bread bags when going to the bakery
Unfortunately a lot of bread companies sell their produce wrapped in plastic, which many see as unavoidable.
In actual fact there is one easy way to avoid the extra plastic.
People can buy their bread from a bakery, but instead of allowing them to put the sliced bread in a plastic bag, customers can take reusable bread bags with them.
Unfortunately a lot of bread companies sell their produce wrapped in plastic, but this can be avoided by taking a bread bag
Buy an insulated lunch bag to carry food to work
Many households hold onto single-use plastic bags so they can use them for different things, such as carrying lunch to work or school.
Buying an insulated lunch bag won’t only keep food fresh; it is also a more attractive bag to be carrying from A to B.
These kinds of bags can also be used hundreds of times and only require an occasional clean to stay functional.
This also means people won’t have to deal with any troublesome holes that single-use plastic bags occasionally produce.
Buying an insulated lunch bag won’t only keep food fresh, it is also a more attractive bag to be carrying from A to B
These kinds of bags can also be used hundreds of times and only require an occasional clean to stay functional
Carry everything in a mesh shopping bag
The perfect accessory when you’re at the grocery store or a farmer’s market is a mesh sling shoulder bag.
Not only do they look good, they are also beneficial for the environment and flexible for when shopping.
They’re lightweight, see-through, and the handles are a part of entire bag instead of being sewn into the top, which means no one has to worry about snapped straps.
Another benefit with these is once you’ve taken your food home, you can easily see what’s in each bag and can be recycled once their useful life is over.
The perfect accessory when you’re at the grocery store or a farmer’s market is a mesh sling shoulder bag
They’re lightweight, see-through, and the handles are a part of entire bag instead of being sewn into the top, which means no one has to worry about snapped straps
Take canvas bags to the supermarket
Reusable canvas bags aren’t anything new, but they’re one of the best ways to ferry grocery shopping home.
Canvas, although traditionally made from hemp, is now produced from linen or cotton.
These bags can be used thousands of times, they’re washable, and biodegradable, meaning shoppers can throw them into the compost when the bag can no longer be used.
A 2010 CHOICE online reader survey found 62 per cent of respondents use green bags or other reusable bags as their main shopping bag.
Reusable canvas bags aren’t anything new, but they’re one of the best ways to ferry grocery shopping home
These bags can be used thousands of times, they’re washable, and biodegradable, meaning shoppers can throw them into the compost when the bag can no longer be used
Purchase biodegradable bags to pick up after your dog
Another thing these plastic bags have been used for is to pick up after dogs when they go to the toilet.
Luckily these days there are a variety of different bags on the market to help this.
There is a large variety of biodegradable bags that can be purchased online that will break down over time, having less of a negative impact on the environment.
Use classic supermarket ‘green bags’
‘Green-bags’, which are a heavy-duty, non-woven polypropylene have been available in supermarkets now for a number of years.
Despite being a product of fossil fuels, they’re a relatively low-energy intensive product to make.
Although there has been some debate over the years as to whether they’re any better, the truth of the matter is that they can be used for a number of years.
Although not as beneficial as canvas bags, they can also be thrown into the washing machine to be cleaned.