In a supermarket in Vienna, I bought some bread, apples and a bottle of orange juice. My diet was simple and basic as everything was so expensive in Europe. I kept eating the same food for several months. When paying for my purchases at the checkout, I said "Can I have a plastic bag please?" without even thinking. The register lady shook her head. I looked around and soon felt embarrassed as every other shopper was carrying their own reusable bags. I placed the food in my backpack and left the store without saying anything else. This was five years ago.

It was during this period when I was travelling in Europe that people in Australia started using so-called eco bags. After I returned to Australia, I started carrying eco bags too.

On the 4th of May 2009, South Australia became the first state in Australia to essentially ban plastic bags. The move is still a few years behind Europe, but the ban will save roughly 400 million plastic bags a year. I thought every South Australian would support this move. However, according to a survey conducted by the Advertiser, a local daily newspaper, almost 60% oppose the new regulation.

In the Advertiser's article on the 5th of May 2009, there were even concerns over the number of shoppers complaining at checkouts, and in some cases, people who didn't bring their own shopping bags left stores without buying anything, rather than spending a dollar to purchase an eco bag. Although Shop Distributive and Allied Employees' Association secretary Peter Malinauskas said most consumers supported the move, there are no grounds to confirm that claim.

After all, many human beings may live a very selfish existence. People can and often will put themselves before the environment. Then, another thought came to mind. In Australia, public opinion is at least in favour of not using plastic bags. For example, you will never come across people using plastic bags for shopping on Australian TV, just as you will never see a tobacco commercial.

In Japan, plastic bags are used as props in TV shows such as dramas, and I have never heard of so-called intellectuals discussing the problem of how plastic bags are used on TV, and how it affects society. However, Japan does not always ignore environmental issues. The Japanese government just launched the "eco-point" system on the 15th of May 2009. Under the new system, people who purchase energy-efficient home appliances and television sets that can receive terrestrial digital broadcasts will receive eco-points, which can then be exchanged for other products. Japanese rules for sorting recyclable domestic waste including paper and plastic are set out in extreme detail and there is probably a lot that Australians could learn from government-led environmental measures in Japan. When it comes to attitudes toward the environment driven by public opinion, however, Japan is far behind Australia, which is in turn way behind Europe.

Until around 30 years ago, it was common to go grocery shopping with your own shopping bag in Australia, just as it was in Japan. Turning back the hands of time may be easier in Australia, where things do not change as rapidly.