GOVERNMENT UPDATE AUGUST 2022
Monday 22 August 2022
SUPs bans in action
The Western Australia Government has announced plans to make further amendments to regulations with a Stage 2 ban expected 1 January 2023. Businesses can read more and register for updates on the consultation process here.
Queensland has released its proposed five-year roadmap for single-use plastics to outline how the Queensland Government plans to continue to consult with suppliers, manufacturers and businesses, available here.
Single-use plastic bans newly in action and coming
State |
Items |
Date |
In action |
||
| NSW |
· Lightweight bags. |
1 June 2022 |
ACT |
· Single-use plastic straws. · Cotton buds with plastic sticks. · All oxo-degradable plastic. |
1 July 2022 |
WA |
· Plastic shopping bags. · Single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cutlery. · Plastic plates, bowls and containers. · Expanded polystyrene food containers and trays. |
1 July 2022 |
| Coming up |
||
| WA | · Single-use plastic cups. |
1 October 2022 |
| NSW | · Single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cutlery. · Single-use plastic plates and bowls. · Cotton buds. · Expanded polystyrene foodware. |
1 November 2022 |
| VIC | · Drinking straws. · Cutlery including knives, forks, spoons chopsticks, sporks, splades, food picks and sporks. · Plates. · Drink stirrers and sticks. · Cotton bud sticks. · Expanded polystyrene food and drink service containers including plates, cups, bowls, clam shells and any cover or lid. |
1 February 2023 |
| QLD | · Cotton buds with plastic stems. · Expanded polystyrene loose packaging (such as the ‘peanut’ style fill foam). · Plastic microbeads in rinseable personal care and cleaning products. · Ban mass release of lighter-than-air balloons. |
1 September 2023 |
From 1 November 2022, single-use plastic plates and bowls will be banned in NSW, along with plastic single-use straws, cutlery, stirrers, cotton buds, polystyrene food containers and cups, and rinse-off personal care products containing microbeads.
The NSW EPA has however just announced a two-year exemption for plastic-lined paper plates and bowls, which were originally identified in the ban. The two-year exemption will allow manufacturers more time to scale up their supply chains, develop, test and refine new alternatives to plastic-lined paper plates and bowls.
The NSW EPA has specified NSW FOGO and FO inputs, fibre-based materials and compostable plastic products (both certified and uncertified to Australian standards) will be phased out. Compostable plastic kitchen caddy liners that comply with Australian Standard AS 4736-2006 (for commercial composting) and fibre-based kitchen caddy liners, used to collect and transfer food waste to the FOGO bin, are however permitted to assist with the collection of food waste. For further information please see the NSW EPA website.
APCO has been working closely with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and industry to develop an Action Plan to Phase Out PFAS in Fibre-based Food Contact Packaging. This Action Plan is due for release in September 2022 and will support all relevant businesses with the phase out.
Contact Peter Brisbane PBrisbane@apco.org.au if you have any queries.