Plastic Bags, to ban or not?

Treehugger is running a story on the success of plastic bag ban in China is working. A debate is also brewing in Australia here on a trial in Melbourne to charge shopper AUD0.10 per plastic bag at supermarket check out - as a mean of reducing the use of plastic bags.

The argument is that the "green" alternative bag is also non-biodegradable. As they reach their useful life cycle, they will be posing an environment issue as well. Are are replacing one evil with another?

Biodegradable plastic bags are now available.

Th ban should be on "non-biodegradable" bags, not the bags themselves.