12/05/2022 By Biyun Yuan
Australia
(https://www.wa.gov.au/service/environment/business-and-community-assistance/western-australias-plan-plastics)
On 13 June 2021, the State Government announced Western Australia’s Plan for Plastics.
The Plan for Plastics was released in response to community feedback and provides a roadmap towards a more sustainable, plastic-free WA. The plan is consistent with the waste hierarchy by promoting actions that:
- prioritise avoiding single-use plastics
- replace single-use items with reusable alternatives wherever possible
- promote non-plastic single-use alternatives that can be recovered, recycled or composted if it is not possible to use reusable items
- minimise litter or contamination of waste treatment facilities by not using single-use plastic
The plan includes introducing regulations to ban single-use plastic items in a two-stage approach. Stage 1 (short-term actions) regulations commenced from 1 January 2022 and has now been completed. Stage 2 (medium-term actions) regulations commence in February 2023 with various transition periods for enforcement based on each item.
The Stage 1 bans included:
- plates
- unlidded bowls
- cutlery
- drink stirrers
- drinking straws
- unlidded cups for cold beverages
- thick plastic shopping bags
- expanded polystyrene (EPS) takeaway food containers
- helium balloon releases
- unlidded takeaway food containers.
Find out more about the Stage 1 ban, its implementation and supporting resources.
Australia will take an education-first approach as part of the introduction of these changes.
Email compliance enquiries to complianceforplastics@dwer.wa.gov.au or call 6364 6651.
Stage 2 single-use or disposable plastic items to be phased out from February 2023 include:
- expanded polystyrene packaging
- degradable plastics (plastics designed to break up more rapidly into fragments under certain conditions).
- barrier/produce bags
- expanded polystyrene cups
- coffee cups and lids
- lids for cups, bowls and takeaway food containers
- cotton buds with plastic shafts, and
Find out more about Western Australia’s Plan for Plastics Stage 2 .
