Research study to eliminate plastic bags at the V&A Waterfront

The Sustainability Institute undertook a series of investigations for the V&A Waterfront that would inform a strategy for eliminating plastic shopping bags from the retail precinct. Each year, somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed around the world, and millions don’t make it to safe disposal. These bags are easily relocated by wind and moving water, and typically end up clogging storm water drains (resulting in flooding), or polluting water courses and the ocean (choking and strangling fish and other wildlife). The V&A Waterfront has become known for its pioneering efforts in sustainability, and given its coastal location and its relationship with the Two Oceans Aquarium, the issue of plastic shopping bags represents an opportunity to lead the way in more responsible retail behaviour.