South Australia has long been a leader on the environmental front.
We were the first state to bring in a deposit refund on bottles and cans to keep tonnes of glass and aluminium out of landfill, and we were the first to phase out lightweight plastic shopping bags.
And we’ve been a leader in phasing out single-use plastics.
South Australia’s Single-use and Other Plastic Products (Waste Avoidance) Act 2020 was the first legislation of its kind in Australia.
In 2021, single-use plastic straws, cutlery and stirrers were prohibited from sale, supply or distribution in South Australia, with expanded polystyrene cups, bowls, plates and clamshell containers banned in 2022.
Plastic-stemmed cotton buds, single-use plastic bowls without lids for food and beverages, and single-use plastic plates for food were among the items phased out in 2023.
The State Government is now calling for your feedback on the next stages of the single-use plastic phase out, to be rolled out in September 2024 and September 2025, respectively.
Green Industries SA will review and collate any feedback received, which will then be used to inform any changes that need to be made to the draft regulations. People making submissions will be notified via email of the outcomes of the consultation process.
From 1 September 2024 bans on the following products have been proposed:
- thick plastic/boutique plastic shopping bags and plastic-laminated paper shopping bags
- plastic barrier bags for perishable goods
- plastic bread tags
- single-use plastic hot and cold beverage cups and single-use plastic lids
- single-use plastic food containers, including bowls with lids
- expanded polystyrene (EPS) trays
- other EPS food and beverage containers
- plastic confetti
- plastic balloon sticks and ties.
September 2025 will see a move to ban plastic produce stickers, plastic soy sauce fish, attached straws and cutlery and pre-packaged EPS containers.
Consultation closes Sunday 11 February. You can have your say via the survey or by emailing a written submission to GISA.sup@sa.gov.au
More information can be found at Single Use Plastic Act and Single Use Plastic regulations.
