SYDNEY, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Victoria state will ban single-use, lightweight plastic shopping bags from next year as part of a major environmental initiative, authorities said on Wednesday.
The ban includes shopping bags made from degradable, biodegradable and compostable plastic, according to a statement from the state's Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D'Ambrosio.
"We know Victorians want to do more to reduce pollution in our environment. We've received an enormous amount of feedback and they've told us loud and clear they want us to deliver this ban," D'Ambrosio said.
Plastics in the environment break up into smaller and smaller pieces over time, becoming increasingly difficult to manage. The material can also "end up in our waterways, lakes and oceans, contributing to litter and posing a significant hazard to our marine life."
To support the transition away from plastic shopping bags and make the ban "as effective as possible," the government will support an education campaign for retailers and the community, she said.
Victoria's green move comes a week after Australian supermarket chain Woolworths stopped providing single-use plastic bags from its stores nationwide, in a ban that is expected to remove more than 3.2 billion of the items from the environment every year.
Rival supermarket chain Coles also rolled out plans last July to stop using disposable plastic bags within the year, following similar initiatives by major retailers worldwide that environmental groups have welcomed.