Australia’s Plan to Phase out Single Use Plastics
Plastics have become part of our everyday life. They are inexpensive, convenient and used in many applications. However, the single-use and disposable nature of many of these plastics contributes to a linear, wasteful, take-make-dispose economy. Ever since South Australia’s initiative to ban lightweight plastic bags in October 2008, the other States began to follow suit: Northern Territory and the ACT banned plastic bags in 2011; Tasmania in 2013; Queensland in 2018; Victoria and Western Australia in 2019. Following this lead, many state governments are now aiming to further reduce plastic waste by banning the use of other single use plastic items such as straws, food containers, cutleries, etc.
Multiple states have already banned various single use plastic items as of November 2021. South Australia took the lead in March 2021 by banning the use of plastic straws, drink stirrers and cutleries. Furthermore, they plan to advance this move by adding polystyrene food containers to the ban list in 2022. The ACT followed closely and have surpassed South Australia at this moment by banning all of the previously mentioned items, as well as fruit/vegetable barrier bags in July 2021. Similarly, Queensland has also recently omitted the use of plastic straws, drink stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls and polystyrene food containers, in September 2021.
Despite their lack of involvement in the past, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia have all made comprehensive ban lists addressing the prohibition of various single use plastic items in the years 2022 and 2023. If these goals are carried out according to plan, Western Australia would have the most extensive ban list, significantly reducing the use of plastic in the state. More detailed plans regarding what each state plans to ban can be seen in Figure 1. Lastly, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have yet the make any commitments to add other single use plastic items outside of lightweight bags to their ban list.
References:
Australian Marine Conservation Society 2021, Which Australian states are banning single-use plastics?, Australian Marine Conservation Society, accessed 25th November 2021, <https://www.marineconservation.org.au/which-australian-states-are-banning-single-use-plastics/>.
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