Single-use plastic bans were extended across Queensland’s last Friday in a bid to better protect the environment.
The single-use plastic items added to previous bans were placed on cotton buds with plastic stems, expanded polystyrene loose packaging (such as “peanut” style fill foam), plastic microbeads in rinseable personal care and cleaning products, and the outdoor release of lighter-than-air balloons.
Further requirements for heavyweight plastic shopping bags, such as department store bags, also came into effect last Friday.
Non-woven plastic shopping bags of 35 microns or more thickness will need to pass reusability tests for 125 uses and, for non-compostable plastic shopping bags, contain a minimum of 80 per cent recycled content.
The Queensland Government has partnered with the National Retail Association (NRA) to support businesses in understanding the new requirements and to become ban compliant, including providing advice on managing existing stocks.
The National Retail team has visited more than 2000 stores across the state in preparation for the new bans, providing information sessions to businesses, and is providing a toll free hotline for businesses to receive advice and assistance to comply.
Consultation was undertaken prior to the introduction of the new single-use plastic bans to determine if suitable alternatives were available and if actions other than a ban were more appropriate.
The new bans follow those introduced in September 2021 that prohibited single-use plastic items including straws, stirrers, plates, bowls, cutlery, and expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups.
Environment Minister Leanne Linard said plastic products were useful parts of our everyday lives, providing many positive benefits, but plastic pollution is a growing problem when it ends up in the wrong place, impacting the health of our communities, our environment and wildlife.
“We are working towards Queensland becoming a zero-waste society, where waste is avoided, reused, and recycled to the greatest extent possible and are delighted that the message about how vital it is to keep our environment free from plastic waste is reaching our community,” she said.
“Along with the single-use plastic bans, we have also introduced a Container Refund Scheme allowing individuals, charities, and community groups to receive a 10c refund when they return an eligible glass, metal or plastic drink container to a container refund point.
“Since this scheme started, more than 6.8 billion containers have been returned through over 360 refund points across Queensland with an additional 1.4 billion collected through kerbside services.
“Single-use plastics bans and the Container Refund Scheme have combined to eliminate an enormous amount of plastic and container litter from entering our environment and landfills.”
National Retail Association Director, Policy, David Stout said retailers support the phase-out of unnecessary or problematic single-use plastics in order to reduce waste and improve environmental outcomes but we also understand that businesses need time, education and support to understand single-use plastic bans so they can transition to more sustainable alternatives while minimising business impact.
“The National Retail team are committed to helping businesses throughout their transition, before and after the ban comes into effect, and we encourage businesses to get in touch if they need assistance,” he said
Boomerang Alliance Queensland manager Toby Hutcheon said they welcomed the latest plastic reduction regulations.
“Plastic stemmed cotton buds and plastic microbeads in personal care products are unnecessary, whilst polystyrene pellets in loose packaging of products is just wasteful,” he said
“We applaud the decision to ban the deliberate release of helium balloons.
“Heavyweight plastic shopping bags continue to be a problem waste, so introducing new rules on what constitutes a reusable bag is good policy.
“Any plastic shopping bag that claims to be reusable must now prove it has been made and designed to complete at least 125 shopping cycles.
“This requirement, fully adopted, is a big step towards only having genuinely reusable bags in the market.”
Following the introduction of the 2021 ban, the NRA has spot-checked more than 2600 retailers and investigated 167 reports from the public, with the vast majority of businesses found to be doing the right thing.
If issues were discovered, the NRA and Queensland Government worked through solutions with the businesses concerned and achieved compliance without “heavy-handed” intervention.
This “education first” approach has meant there has been no need to issue any penalties since the bans were introduced.
Businesses seeking advice or information on the ban should visit the website, contact the National Retail hotline or attend the free online session held every Friday. Visit qldplasticsban.com.au for more information.
Members of the public can continue to report suspected non-compliance through qldplasticsban.com.au or by contacting the NRA.
