What do I need to know about single-use plastic bans?
Certain kinds of single-use plastic products are banned across Australia:
- Lightweight plastic bags are banned in every state and territory.
- Other types of single-use plastics are banned but this varies by state and territory.
What's banned?
Single-use plastics refer to any plastic product that is designed to be used once and then thrown away. Common single-use plastic items include plastics bags, cutlery, straws, bowls and plates, and takeaway containers. While single-use plastics are convenient, they use up resources like water and oil to make them – only for them to be used once and then throw away. This is not only an inefficient use of finite resources, but the items also create litter and pollution.
Bans on single-use plastics in Australia
Click on your state or territory to visit your state government's website for details about prohibited items, timelines, and suggestions for alternatives:
Alternatives for households
If you live in an area with a ban in place, here are some helpful tips on environmentally responsible alternatives. Remember, reusable options should always be your first choice. Reducing your use of single-use and disposable products, whether they are made from plastic or another type of material, is always the best option!
Use reusable bags, like totes, for as long as possible. A UK study found cotton bags should be used at least 131 times to ensure they have a lower global warming potential than conventional plastic bags that are not reused.
Use heavy-duty plastic and green bags (woven polypropylene) as many times as possible. Some councils may have specialised recycling services for these bags once they have reached their end of life. Check directly with your council.
Paper bags are also an option for lighter items. Ideally, these bags should be reused before recycling. However, if the bag has been contaminated with food or grease, it should not be put in the recycling bin.
If you love using straws, consider carrying a reusable straw when you go out. There are lots of products available that come with a handy carrier pouch and straw cleaner.
Bamboo and paper straws cannot be recycled. Single-use straws are still available to people who rely on them due to disability or medical needs.
Plastic plates and cutlery are no longer available for purchase in supermarkets in some areas of Australia, so if you're keen on picnics, consider purchasing a portable reusable cutlery set.
If you’re buying disposable cutlery made from bamboo or wood, you can only compost it after use in certain regions of Australia (generally South Australia). If your council has supplied you with a FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) bin, check that the products or packaging are accepted AND certified Commercial Compostable. If you have a compost at home, always check the products are certified Home Compostable. Otherwise, they need to be disposed of in general waste.
Reusable silicone buds or swabs that come in a travel case are available. These items cannot be recycled, so they should be reused as many times as possible, ideally for years.
Bamboo stick cotton buds are available, but they cannot be recycled, so it's best to avoid them altogether if possible. If you have a compost system at home, make sure these products are certified Home Compostable. Beware of misleading terms like ‘biodegradable’ or 'eco-friendly', which have no industry standards or certifications.
Drinking your coffee at home or in the cafe from crockery is the best way to reduce waste. There are also many types of reusable coffee cups available, some of which are even made from recycled coffee cups, such as rCUP.
If your café uses compostable coffee cups, these generally cannot be recycled at home or work. They can, however, be taken to a designated recycling point. South Australia is currently the only state with a comprehensive, statewide framework that widely accepts certified Commercial or Home Compostable items in household kerbside FOGO bins and commercial composting streams.
Alternatives for businesses
Consider reducing the consumption of single-use items and whether switching to reusables is viable for your business. Where single-use items are unavoidable, researching alternatives to single-use plastics helps your business or workplace make the best choice.
Are compostables right for my business?
Compostable packaging is made of raw materials like paper, wood, bamboo or corn that will decompose under specific conditions.
It's important to consider your organisation's unique circumstances before deciding to use compostable products. Why? Some states are implementing bans on certain compostable plastic items, and you must have access to an appropriate composting facility that accepts certified compostables. Compostable products that end up in landfill are not necessarily better for the environment as they produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas, when they decompose. Most will not be recyclable either.
Ask the following questions before switching to compostable products:
- Do I or my customers have access to an industrial composting facility, or does my council have a Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) service that accepts these products?
- Are the products "home compostable"? If they are not, they will require an industrial facility to be composted (i.e., they will not fully break down in a home compost system).
- Are the products certified compostable to the Australian standards (Industrially Compostable Certification AS4736-2006 or Home Compostable Certification AS5810-2010)?
- If the packaging is made from paper, wood, or bamboo, have the materials been certified by responsible sources, e.g., Forest Stewardship Certification (FSC) or the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)?
Tip! The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation provides a comprehensive decision making tool for compostable packaging in their Considerations for Compostable Plastic Packaging guide.
What does biodegradable mean?
'Biodegradable' refers to a material's ability to decompose or break down by living organisms. There are no industry standards or certifications for the term. Products making this claim may degrade (as will most items over time), but without a specified timeframe, this term can be very misleading. A piece of plastic that is biodegradable could take hundreds of years to degrade, which is not a good environmental outcome.
Products claiming to be biodegradable should be avoided unless they are certified compostable to Australian Standards. If you are unsure about a product, consider contacting the manufacturer for more information.
Oxo-degradable products should be avoided
Oxo-degradable plastics contain additives that are supposed to help them degrade faster. Over time, these products will also break down into microplastics and survive in the environment indefinitely. These products are being phased out both internationally and in Australia.
