When you’re swimming on holiday, the last thing you want is a mouthful of plastic. Likewise, exploring an ancient ruin, the unwanted discovery of a heap of disintegrating supermarket sacks would kinda … suck. But there are towns all over the globe that are plastic bag free (wahoo!), so spend your green tourist dollars and keep not-fantastic plastic out of the picture. Just don’t forget your canvas shopper!
The war on plastic bags is being waged and communities from the UK to Australia are being declared plastic bag free. Currently, 20 million Australians use around 4 billion bags every year. Four effing billion. With each bag taking 15 — 1000 years to break down, it’s no wonder tourism authorities can see the light in stemming the tide on plastic.
Modbury, a small town in south-west UK, lead the charge in becoming Europe’s first plastic bag free town in 2007. But when plastic eradication was just a twinkle in their eye, Coles Bay in Tasmania had already gone gangbusters on the concept all the way back in 2003.
Coles Bay, population 250, was Australia’s first plastic bag free town. Located next to Freycinet National Park, the town was well aware it was in their interest to protect their best tourism lure — nature.
Not only is there not a single eyesore sack to be found in town, but disposable knives and forks are all wooden, straws are made of paper and recycle bins dot the landscape. Picture an entire world of greenies — utopia!
Sandra Kain, founding member of the Going Plastic Free association, said tourists are complimentary about the state of the town and plastic ban. “The response has been fantastic”, she says. “They are all impressed, especially that it is a little place like us down in Tasmania. Nature is our draw card down here, so we’re protecting it.”
Likewise, don’t expect to bag up your groceries in plastic in Zanzibar; the picturesque island on the coast of Tanzania, Africa. Renowned for diving, snorkelling and marine life, the island banned plastic bags in 2006.
"We have to put the environment above everything," Zanzibar's Director of Environment Ali Juma said. "Besides being an eyesore, plastic bags are very damaging to land and marine life and we are already threatened by the rapid pace of development."
Where else can you travel plastic-neutral? The Irish and the Germans are currently forced to pay for plastic when hitting the shops, and similarly Denmark and Switzerland are places where people put plastic last. And closer to home, South Australia has just won the war on unsightly rubbish and been declared plastic free.
What are your thoughts on going plastic free? Would you feel better spending your tourism bucks in a community of enviro-friendly shoppers?
