Plastic bag ban target set for

Community Enterprise Queensland (CEQ) will expand it’s ban on single-use plastic bags as of this month.

They said it was another major step towards living their Vision of Caring, Every Day, Always by reducing their environmental impact in remote stores across North Queensland.

As part of the Queensland Government’s expanded plan to tackle plastic waste, Queensland businesses were not allowed to use single-use plastic bags as of 1 September 2023.

CEQ Chief Executive Officer Michael Dykes said they had chosen to proactively activate this transition by ceasing the ordering of heavyweight plastic bags for their remote stores from this week onwards as part of their commitment to help local communities meet their aspirations for a healthier and sustainable future.

“This is another important step to protect our environment and create a more sustainable future for generations to come,” said Mr Dykes.

“Once the Queensland Government announced it was expanding the ban of single-use plastic items later this year, we decided to act as early and as quickly as possible.

“This means that even the heavyweight plastic bags that we consider ‘re-usable’ will no longer be allowed.

“We’ve listened, taken action, and today we’re informing all our customers that we take plastic pollution seriously.

“When we say we care, every day, always, we mean it.”

CEQ General Manager (Merchandise)

Casey Kelly said she was proud of her retail team for stepping up and expanding the single-use plastic bag ban well before the Queensland Government deadline.

“There were several logistical challenges to get to this stage, and the team have done an amazing job,” she said.

“As of 3 April, we’ve stopped ordering the heavyweight plastic bags currently considered reusable, and then will phase out existing stock by introducing a suite of environmentally friendly bag options.

“We believe that by caring for the environment, we can make a better place for people to live, work and enjoy.

“Our stores are located in some of the most beautiful islands and communities in the world, and we need to protect that for generations to come.”

In 2021, the Queensland Government banned a number of single-use plastics food products like straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, unenclosed bowls, and expanded polystyrene (EPS) takeaway containers and EPS cups.

Community, industry and business consultation have shown strong support to expand the ban to include other single-use plastic items.

As a result, the following single-use plastic items were to be banned from 1 September 2023:

• heavyweight plastic shopping bags

• cotton buds with plastic stems

• expanded polystyrene loose packaging

• plastic microbeads in rinseable personal care and cleaning products

• mass release of lighter than air balloons.

Mr Dykes said CEQ stores were well prepared for the upcoming changes.

“Once the ban was announced by the Queensland Government, our teams immediately began working with suppliers to source appropriate range alternatives,” Mr Dykes said.