Ditching plastic

With Victoria implementing a ban on single-use plastics soon, here’s how you can support retailers as they shift to more eco-friendly options.

We’ve all become accustomed to bringing our reusable bags with us when we go grocery shopping.

But what about when we meet a friend for a drink or order takeaway – do we stop and think about the straw or polystyrene food container?

We all know these products are wasteful and inefficient, but eliminating problematic plastics from our lives can be easier said than done.

With Victoria implementing a ban on single-use plastics early next year, businesses and customers are being encouraged to start preparing now to help ease the transition.

Here’s how you can help support retailers in the shift to ditching single-use plastics.

An overview of the single-use plastics ban

The state-wide ban on the sale and supply of single-use plastics will come into effect from February 1, 2023.

The items that will be banned from cafes, restaurants and other retailers include drinking straws and stirrers, cutlery, plates, cotton bud sticks and expanded polystyrene food and drink containers.

The ban applies to conventional, degradable and compostable plastics including bioplastic and oxo-degradable materials.

The benefits of ditching single-use plastic

Banning problematic plastics will help to reduce plastic pollution. Single-use plastics make up a third of the litter we see on our streets and in our waterways.

While they are often only used for a few minutes, these items remain in the environment for a long time, harming wildlife and contaminating our food and water.

Even compostable plastics can still harm wildlife and often require processing at a specialised compost facility to break down.

How to support your local retailers

With the ban coming into effect soon, businesses are being urged to prepare now.

The state government has already phased problematic single-use plastics out of use by government departments and agencies across the public service.

Sustainability Victoria recommends businesses run down current stocks of the banned items and start sourcing and ordering reusable items.

You may notice your favourite cafe introducing items made from alternative materials like metal, wood, bamboo or paper.

The most obvious way to support local retailers is with your wallet. You can choose to spend your money at shops that fully embrace reusable products and systems, and be willing to fork out a little more for sustainability over convenience.

Here are some simple ways you can help local retailers ditch problematic plastics:

• Remember to bring your reusable coffee cup (there are many great options made from ceramic, glass and stainless steel) to your local cafe

• Opt to dine in rather than ordering a takeaway coffee or food

• If you like drinking from a straw, bring your own metal straw to your favourite bars and restaurants

• Use beeswax paper or stretch lids to take leftovers home or even to wrap produce

• When you call to place your takeaway order, ask if you can bring your own food containers

• Pay a little extra for the deposit on a reusable container, like the Returnr products used by some cafes and gelato shops. You can reuse the container and then wash it and return it for a full refund on your deposit

• Support events that implement reusable systems such as Green My Plate, Better Cup or Wash Against Waste.

Reuse with purpose

While some restaurants and takeaway shops will shift to more environmentally friendly and biodegradable containers, it’s always preferable not to create waste in the first place.

By incorporating reusable items such as coffee mugs, food containers and cutlery into your daily routine, you can help further reduce the need for materials and manufacturing.

A little preparation and planning can go a long way to protecting the health of our local environment.