Single-Use Plastic & PLA Bans

Banned:

PLA cutlery, stirrers

Exempt:

PLA bioplastic is currently an acceptable replacement product for expanded polystyrene takeaway food and beverage containers.

Compostable bags with Australian Standard AS4736-2006.

Banned:

PLA straws, PLA containers or bowls sold without spill-proof lids.

Exempt:

PLA containers or bowls that are specifically designed to be used with a spill-proof lid (e.g. takeaway salad bowl with a lid, or a takeaway soup container with a lid). This means they must be sold with a lid in order to comply with new regulations.

PLA cups & PLA lined paper cups.

Compostable utility bags/barrier bags (i.e. bin liners or doggie bags).

Exempt:

Compostable bags with Australian Standard AS4736-2006

Unlidded PLA bowls and containers.

Exempt:

PLA straws & cutlery. PLA bowls certified industrially (AS4736) or home (AS5810) compostable to the Australian standards, must be used with a lid (e.g. sushi containers, triangle sandwich containers, or bowls and containers with lids).

PLA coated paperboard products.

Compostable utility bags/barrier bags (i.e. bin liners or doggie bags).

Banned:

PLA straws

Exempt:

PLA bowls, cups & PLA lined paper cups. Compostable bags that meet the Australian Industrial Standard AS4736-2006.

Exempt:

PLA products and Compostable bags certified industrially (AS4736) or home (AS5810) compostable to the Australian standards, and European Standard EN13432, United States of American standard D6400.

Banned:

From 1st FEB 2023: PLA straws

Exempt:

PLA cups, PLA containers, PLA lined cups, PLA lined paperboard containers

Compostable utility bags/barrier bags (i.e. bin liners or doggie bags)

Banned:

Disposable plastic cups or plastic glasses of any shape used for cold drinks. Disposable paper cups which have any form of plastic or bioplastic (eg. in the lining or coating). Disposable cups made purely from compostable plastic (PLA).

Unlidded bowls, unlidded containers, straws. This includes plastic and PLA cotated paperboard products without lids.

Exempt:

Disposable plastic cups used for drinks higher than room temperature (e.g. coffee cups). Containers which are used for food (for example, a container for icecream or soup may be called a ‘cup’ but is defined as a bowl under this ban. PLA cups if used with a lid, and only used to serve food (e.g. fruit salad or ice cream). This means they must be sold with a lid in order to comply with new regulations.

Australian certified compostable paperboard bowls lined with certified PLA & certified PLA clear bowls used with a lid. This means they must be sold with a lid in order to comply with new regulations.

Lidded containers including PLA.

Large serving ware e.g. platters.

Compostable utility bags/barrier bags (i.e. bin liners or doggie bags).

Shopping Bag Ban: November 2011

Tranche 1 bans: 1 July 2021

Tranche 2 bans: 1 July 2022

Tranche 3 bans: 1 July 2023

Included in the ban:

Single-use lightweight shopping bags with handles (35 microns thick or less), including compostable versions.

Exempt from the ban:

Compostable bags accepted if not used to carry goods (this includes utility bags/barrier bags such as bin liners & doggie bags etc).

Included in the ban:

Plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, bowls, plates, expanded polystyrene food service items, cotton-buds, microbeads in certain care products, including PLA compostable versions of these items.

Exempt from the ban:

The ban doesn’t apply to coffee cups, plastic cups (regular plastic and compostable PLA). It also does not apply to plastic bowls (regular plastic and compostable PLA) designed or intended to have a spill-proof lid, e.g. such as those used for takeaway soup.

Penalties:

Penalties range from $11,000 and $270,000 for businesses and distributors caught selling or giving out single-use plastic bags in NSW. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) aims to support an educational transition rather than a penalty lead strategy in the introductory phase of these new regulations. (Find out more here)

Exempt from the ban:

The EPA has issued a temporary two-year exemption until 31 October 2024 for plates and bowls that are made of paper or cardboard but have a plastic lining or coating. This includes products like takeaway cardboard bowls without lids and printed or coloured paper ‘party’ plates and bowls.

This eventual ban includes products made from biodegradable, compostable plastic or bio plastic.

Included in the ban:

Plastic bags with handles made of polyethylene polymer less than 35 microns thick.

Exempt from the ban:

Compostable bags that meet the Australian Standard AS4736-2006.

TBA

TBA

Included in the ban:

Single-use lightweight plastic shopping bags under 35 microns, including compostable versions.

Exempt from the ban:

Compostable bags accepted if not used to carry goods (this includes utility bags/barrier bags such as bin liners & doggie bags etc).

Included in the ban:

Plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls, EPS cups and containers.

Exempt from the ban:

Compostable plastics versions of those items certified industrially (AS4736) or home (AS5810) compostable to the Australian standards.

Penalties:

Any business found to be supplying a banned single-use plastic item or providing false or misleading information to another person about a banned plastic item may face a maximum fine of 50 penalty points (or $6672.50) per offence, with one penalty unit currently valued at $133.45 (Find out more here)

Community, industry and business consultation has shown strong support to expand the ban of single-use plastics. As a result, the following single-use plastic items will be banned from 1 September 2023:

• cotton buds with plastic stems
• expanded polystyrene loose packaging
• plastic microbeads in rinseable personal care and cleaning products
• heavyweight plastic shopping bags
• mass release of lighter than air balloons.

A proposed 5–year roadmap has been prepared to show how the Queensland Government plans to continue to work with suppliers, manufacturers and businesses on the inclusion of additional single-use plastic items in the ban, including single-use takeaway coffee cups and lids.

Exact details regarding these bans are not given. Currently this is only a proposal and does not represent final regulations. A draft 5 year roadmap is available here.

Included in the ban:

Plastic shopping bags at or below 35 micrometres.

Exempt from the ban:

Compostable bags that meet the Australian Standard AS4736-2006.

Included in the ban:

Plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, including PLA bioplastic versions of those items.

Included in the ban:

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) cups, bowls, plates, containers & all oxo-degradable products.

Exempt from the ban:

PLA bioplastic bowls, cups and PLA lined paper cups.

Penalties:

Maximum penalty: $20,000. Maximum expiation fee: $1,000. Different fees for different types of penalties. (Source)

Plastic produce bags will be phased out, enabling the market to switch to compostable alternatives that are certified to Australian Standards for compostability [AS4736-2006 and AS5810-2010]. Thick supermarket or boutique-style plastic bags. Single-use plastic beverage containers (including coffee cups). Fibre and other compostable, or non-plastic recyclable or reusable alternatives can replace single-use plastic food containers with various alternatives already available and in use. Expanded polystyrene cups, bowls, plates and clamshell containers were prohibited from sale.

Exact details regarding these bans are not given. Currently this is only a proposal and does not represent final regulations.

Included in the ban:

Plastic shopping bags at or below 35 micrometres.

Exempt from the ban:

Compostable bags that meet the Australian Standard AS4736-2006.

Included in the ban:

All plastic single-use takeaway packaging, including plastic PE-lined coffee cups & plastic PS lids, cutlery, plastic takeaway hot food containers and lids, takeaway plastic straws & plastic bags.

Exempt from the ban:

Compostable plastics versions of those items, certified industrially or home compostable to Australian Standards.

Penalties:

The current penalty unit amount is $168 and is set by the State Government. The two penalty units are applicable for an infringement notice which can be issued by a council officer. An eight penalty unit and infringement of up to $1344 is assessed if the matter is prosecuted. (Find out more here)

TBA

TBA

Included in the ban:

Single-use lightweight plastic shopping bags under 35 microns, including compostable versions.

Exempt from the ban:

Compostable bags accepted if not used to carry goods (this includes utility bags/barrier bags such as bin liners & doggie bags etc).

Included in the ban:

Drinking straws, cutlery (including knives, forks, spoons, chopsticks, sporks, splades, food picks and sporks), plates, drink stirrers and sticks, cotton bud sticks, including PLA compostable versions of these items.

Expanded polystyrene food service items and drink containers. This includes expanded polystyrene plates, cups, bowls, clam shells and any cover or lid that is also made from expanded polystyrene.

Penalties:

For single-use plastic bags, court penalties of $9,900 for an individual and $49,500 for a company may apply. Retailers who ignore an order from EPA could face a court-imposed penalty of up to $396,500. (Find out more here)

Current Exemption until 1 November 2024

Exempt now but will be banned:

Paper and cardboard plates with a plastic lining, regardless of whether the lining is made from conventional or compostable plastic, will be banned from sale and supply in Victoria 1 November 2024.

Included in the ban:

Single-use lightweight plastic shopping bags under 35 microns, including compostable versions.

Exempt from the ban:

Compostable bags accepted if not used to carry goods (this includes utility bags/barrier bags such as bin liners & doggie bags etc).

Included in the ban:

Plastic plates, bowls, cutlery, drink stirrers, drinking straws, bags with handles (any weight/thickness) including PLA compostable versions of these items, expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers, helium balloon releases.

Exempt from the ban:

Certified compostable paperboard bowls lined with PLA & certified PLA clear bowls used with a lid.

Included in the ban:

Plastic cups, including PLA versions of these items.

Exempt from the ban:

Certified compostable PLA clear cups used with a lid, only to serve food and certified compostable PLA-lined paper cups.

Penalties:

Supplying a banned plastic item, providing false or misleading information about a banned plastic item, releasing, or causing/permitting the release of a balloon will be chargeable of $5000 per offence apply. (Find out more here)

(False & misleading offence commences)

Degradable plastic (incl. oxo-degradable and landfill degradable), Cotton buds with plastic shafts, Microbeads, EPS cups and EPS in food and beverage packaging (including meat trays), Loose fill EPS packaging and other expanded plastic equivalents eg. EPE, EPP and foamed bioplastic.

Takeaway coffee cups (excl. AU certified lined paper cups), Cup Lids – hot & cold drinks (including plastic lined paper), Lids for takeaway food containers and bowls (excl. AU certified lined paper lids). Therefore all lidded containers and bowls excluded in Stage 1 (We note that the definition of containers is unclear so this might include sushi clamshells, sandwich wedges, deli containers, food boxes, cake boxes, etc – TBC). Produce/ Barrier Bags (including those used for fruit, veges, dairy, cured meat, nuts, confectionary that are not pre-packed before arrival at store; excluding raw meat)

Moulded EPS packaging and other expanded plastic equivalents including EPE, EPP and bioplastic EPS.

Exact details regarding these bans are not given. Currently this is only a proposal and does not represent final regulations.