Every day Australians use an estimated 10 million single-use non-biodegradable plastic bags. Annually this amounts to around 3.7 billion plastic bags.

Although these plastic bags enjoy an average economic 'lifespan' of 12 minutes, that same plastic bag could take hundreds of years to decompose. Most end up in landfill, but approximately 80 million plastic bags annually end up in our litter stream where they wreck long-term environmental havoc, particularly on marine life.

This is why countries such as China, Italy, Papua New Guinea, France, Taiwan and the Netherlands have already banned plastic bags. In Australia the states of Tasmania, South Australia, Queensland (pending), Northern Territory and the ACT have implemented bans.

Opinion polls of Australian sentiment towards the implementing of a ban on plastic bags range from 70% to in excess of 80%.

We the undersigned residents of the City of Kalamunda urge our Shire Council to join with the Town of East Fremantle and introduce a Local Law to #BanTheBag .