Single-Use Plastic item bans around Australia

NATIONAL

With the fast-growing movement of Australians advocating to “save our planet”, states and territories are initiating bans on single-use plastic items that ultimately finish up in landfill, favouring recyclable alternatives. MGA is a member of most single-use plastic working groups around Australia.

Commencing 1 September 2021 - the single-use plastic items ban commences in Queensland.

MGA has been a member of the Queensland Government’s Single-use Plastic Items Ban Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG).

The Queensland Government is taking action to fight plastic waste and pollution, starting with a ban on some single-use plastic items. MGA members are advised that Single-use plastic items included in the ban are-

straws - regular straws, flexible straws, straws with a scoop, cocktail straws and bubble tea straws, stirrers - hot or cold drink stirrers, swizzle sticks and hot or cold food stirrers, plates and bowls including single-use expanded polystyrene plates, cutlery - knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons, sample tasting spoons, soup spoons, chopsticks, splayds and sporks and expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups.

All members in Queensland consulted about this single-use plastic item ban have been 100% supportive of this initiative and have already begun sourcing alternative hard cardboard and wooden (bamboo) replacements.

Half of all plastic produced in the world is designed to be used only once—and then thrown away.

This is a massive contributor to the 300 million tonnes of plastic waste created every year, almost equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.

Members are informed that as of 1 July 2021, the ACT Government has legislated to ban the stocking and selling of single-use plastic items such as cutlery, single-use plastic drink stirrers (including bioplastics) and expanded polystyrene takeaway food and drink containers. There will be a 12-month transition period as the ACT Government recognises the additional adjustment period required by businesses to transition to alternative materials.

Many ACT MGA members favour this initiative and see this as a contribution toward reducing waste going into landfill and littering.

Members have already begun to replace single-use plastic items with wooden and hardboard alternatives.

For more information on the ACT’s ban on selected single-use plastics and for a range of resources to help businesses make the switch, visit: www.act.gov.au/ single-use-plastics.

We’re working hard to clean up our city by reducing single-use plastics

STAGE 1 BAN from 1 July 2021

Single-use plastic cutlery, single-use plastic drink stirrers and expanded polystyrene takeaway food and beverage containers are prohibited from sale, supply and distribution in the ACT from 1 July 2021. Keep Canberra beautiful and back the ban on single-use plastics.

MGA is a member of the WA Plastic Straws / Single-Use Plastic Working Group. A consultation group is advising the WA Government on the best strategy for businesses (supermarkets) to transition from single-use plastic items such as stirring spoons, cutlery, plates, bowls, cups, polystyrene items and straws to hard cardboard and wooden alternatives. Meetings have been scheduled for July.

MGA will keep members informed after each meeting.

NATIONAL

MGA is working with the NSW Small Business Commissioner Chris Lamont and his team to engage on the Cleaning Up Our Act: Redirecting the Future of Plastic in NSW discussion paper, and in particular, the proposal contained within relating to the phase-out of plastic bags.

The Small Business Commissioner is seeking a range of industry views to identify awareness and potential challenges it might present for small businesses.

MGA will keep members updated on all progress and news of this initiative.

There are 3 phases to ban single-use plastic items in SA.

Phase 1 - 1 July 2021 - Single-use plastic cutlery, stirrers and expanded polystyrene food and beverage containers

Phase 2 actions - 1 July 2022 - Singleuse plastic straws (with exemptions for people that require them), single-use plastic fruit and vegetable “barrier bags,” and degradable plastic products

Phase 3 actions - date TBC - Additional single-use and other plastic products to be determined. Please note that as of 1 July 2021, South Australian Members’ stocking and selling of some single-use plastic items will be banned.

Banned Single-Use plastic items include cutlery, drink stirrers and expanded polystyrene takeaway food and beverage containers.

Members are advised to source wooden alternatives to replace plastic cutlery and drink stirrers and hard cardboard food and beverage containers.

Any surplus banned plastic items can either be returned to suppliers or, if possible, transferred to interstate businesses rather than sending them to landfill.