Western Australia (WA), Queensland and South Australia (SA) have imposed ban on a range of single-use plastic items starting from 1 September 2023.
Each state has applied ban on different single-use items.
However, a common item that has been banned across all three regions is plastic stemmed cotton buds.
The Queensland government has banned expanded polystyrene loose packaging, including ‘peanuts’ style fill foam and plastic microbeads in rinseable personal care and cleaning products.
Circulation of heavyweight plastic shopping bags and outdoor release of lighter-than-air balloons has also been prohibited in Queensland.
Non-woven plastic shopping bags with thickness of 35 microns or more will now be required to pass reusability tests for 125 uses, while non-compostable plastic shopping bags must contain at least 80% recycled content.
Queensland Environment and the Great Barrier Reef Minister Leanne Linard said: “Along with single-use plastic ban, we have also introduced a Container Refund Scheme allowing individuals, charities, and community groups to receive a 10c refund when they return an eligible glass, metal or plastic drink container to a container refund point.”
The WA government has outlawed loose fill expanded polystyrene packaging, plastic microbeads, expanded polystyrene cups and degradable plastics that can break into fragments.
From February, the government said it provided a six-month transition period to all the local businesses to use up their available supplies and prepare alternatives to replace them.
The government is also banning some additional items, including plastic produce bags for fruit and vegetables, non-compostable plastic takeaway coffee cups, unlidded trays and plastic lids for takeaway food packs, such as bowls, plates, cups, trays and containers.
All these items have transition period ranging from 12 to 28 months. The final enforcement date is on 1 July 2025.
Besides, the SA government has banned plastic pizza savers along with single-use plastic plates and bowls.
The government has exempted the use of plastic-stemmed cotton buds and single-use plastic bowls for medical, scientific, forensic or law enforcement purposes.
