Locals will no longer have access to a number of single-use plastic items from today, as the State Government’s ban comes into effect.
In 2021, legislation was introduced for the ban in an effort to protect the environment with statistics showing it makes up 60 per cent of all litter.
From today, all single-use plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls, cotton buds and polystyrene foodware are all banned. Rinse-off personal care products containing plastic microbeads are also banned from today.
Minister for Environment James Griffin said this is an important step to protect our environment and create a more sustainable future for generations to come.
“We started this journey in 2020, when we received 16,000 submissions in response to the proposed plastics ban, with 98 per cent of them supporting the bans.
“NSW Parliament passed the Plastics Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021 last year, and since then, we’ve been helping the community and businesses to prepare for these changes with extensive engagement, education and communication campaigns in multiple languages.
“The feedback is clear – the community is disturbed by the amount of single-use plastic entering our environment, so we’ve listened, taken action, and today we’re asking everyone across the state to stop it and swap it.”
Single-use plastic items and packaging make up 60 per cent of all litter in NSW, and the single-use plastic bans will prevent almost 2.7 billion items of plastic litter from entering the environment in the State over the next 20 years.
Ongoing education and support will continue to ensure businesses and consumers understand what’s banned and what’s not, including exemptions that allow the supply of some items for people with disabilities or for medical reasons.
For more information about the NSW Government’s single use plastic bans, visit http://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plastics-ban