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The article focuses on the issue concerning the rise in plastic bag use in Australia. The issue is noted to stem from a confidential report to the Australian government, that leaked to the media in March 2008, which found that the use of plastic bags in the country rose to 40% or to 4.84 billion bags in 2007. As the environmental sector is blaming the increase in plastic bag use to the retail sector, retailers recommend a voluntary phase-out of plastic bags and argue that consumers are the one responsible for their disposal. In the meantime, the government promised a gradual phase-out of non-reusable bags to start by the end of 2008.