What is the Single-use Plastic Ban?

In September 2020, in a landmark piece of legislation, South Australian became the first state in Australia to ban the sale, supply and distribution of single-use plastic products. Initially this will include straws, cutlery and beverage stirrers.

The definition of plastic in the Bill includes plastics of both plant-based and fossil-fuel based origin. The programme will expand to include polystyrene cups, bowls, plates and clamshells containers in early 2022. There is a framework for adding more items in the future.

Oxo-degradable plastic items will also be prohibited from manufacture and sale, because they contain additives that break products down into micro-plastics, which will never decompose.

South Australia’s ban on single-use plastic begins on 1 March 2021. So, what does this mean for you and how do you prepare?

Businesses and the Single-use Plastic Ban

If you’re in business and usually rely on single-use plastic products, you can prepare now by taking these steps:

Leading the way for a sustainable future

On the 1st of March 2021, legislation will start to have a direct impact with South Australia banning select single-use items from March this year, and Queensland committing to similar bans from September 2021.

This momentous change will tackle waste in the food service industry first by striking balance right between food safety and environmental management. The ban covers plastic cutlery, plastic straws and plastic stirrers. This change will also include problematic bioplastic versions of these items.

Phase out immediately

While in such instances some of these products can be avoided altogether, for the most part these items will need to be transitioned to a sustainable product alternatives.

Affected products	Castaway alternatives
Plastic straws		Paper Straws We have a full range of three-ply paper straws, that are made tough to stand the test of time in a consumer’s drink.
Plastic & PLA cutlery		Wooden Cutlery Our timber Envirocutlery has been tested for mouth feel to ensure food taste and integrity is never compromised. This range has been recently expanded to include a cutlery pack and a spork.
Plastic & PLA stirrers		Wooden Stirrers Stirrers are traditionally made from timber. However to ensure raw materials are sourced sustainably, our wooden stirrers are made from PEFC certified timber – which ensures that the wood has been sustainable harvested in line with the strictest environmental, social and economic requirements.

Phase out after 12 months

The next items identified for phase-out consider that a longer transitional period may be required for businesses/retailers, with a proposed implementation timeframe of 12 months following the commencement of the legislation.

Affected products	Castaway alternatives
Expanded polystyrene beverage cups		Plastic-free Paper Cups Although there isn’t a mandate on moving away from other problematic items, we are ready for the next phase of takeaway coffee with our Australian-made Plastic-free coffee cups. This development is one of the first of its kind in the world, and we are making them right here in Australia. So, when we say “This Cup is Different” – we really mean it.
Expanded polystyrene clams	Enviroboard® sugarcane clams	Rediserve® paper clamshells
Expanded polystyrene bowls	Enviroboard® sugarcane bowls	Paper takeaway bowls
Expanded polystyrene plates	Enviroboard® sugarcane plates	Rediserve® paper trays
All products made of oxo-degradable plastic (e.g. some plastic bags)	Paper bags	Paper carry bags

Sending the early signal to the market on these items allows time for transitional arrangements to commence prior to the legislation taking effect. With regards to single-use plastic straws, the legislation will determine how to phase this product from the general community while carefully considering the needs of people with a disability.

Fines will be in place from March 1, 2021 for businesses that don’t comply with the new laws. More information about the roll-out, fines for non-compliance, and alternatives to single-use plastics, is provided on the Replace The Waste website.

Our team is at the ready to assist you ease into this transition. For more information, please get in touch with us.