In a bid to tackle pollution and environmental damage, Queensland became the second state after South Australia to pass bans on single-use plastics.

During Queensland Government community consultation, 94% of survey respondents supported a ban on single-use plastic straws, cutlery and stirrers.

This plastics ban comes on the back of other state-wide initiatives already implemented to curtail plastic pollution such as its container refund scheme and the ban on the supply of lightweight, single-use plastic shopping bags.

10 March 2021
The Waste Reduction and Recycling (Plastic Items) Amendment Act 2021 was passed by the Queensland Parliament. The Act bans the sale or supply of single-use plastic items in Queensland, from 1 September 2021.

This ban is part of Queensland’s plan to tackle plastic pollution and follows strong support from the community, retailers and industry organisations.

Stage 1 – 1 September 2021
The legislation is due to come into effect on 1 September, 2021 and will prohibit the sale and/or supply of the following single-use plastic items.

Stage 2 – Date to be confirmed
Although no indicative date has been specified, the Queensland Government have expressed that a second phase of banning is under discussion. The products under consideration include: coffee and plastic cups, heavyweight plastic shopping bags and plastic balloon sticks.An exemption applies to plastic straws that form part of a product, and to cutlery that forms part of a product.

Examples:

• A straw attached to a juice box
• A fork included in a pre-packed salad
• A spoon attached to a yoghurt container

Additionally, the following businesses* are exempt and can continue to supply banned plastic items:

• Clinics or facilities that provide care to persons with a disability or health needs
• Hospitals
• Dental clinics
• Medical clinics
• Pharmacies
• Aged care facilities
• Medical suppliers
• Schools

* These specifications apply to Queensland and do not apply in all states.

These products will be phased out immediately, and penalties apply for failure to comply.

The Environment Protection Authority will enforce the legislation against single-use plastic products in Queensland.

To find out what penalties apply in Queensland, the full Bill is available here.

Businesses are encouraged to identify whether banned items still need to be provided to customers, and if so, what they can be replaced with.

The National Retail Association (NRA), a member of the Queensland Government’s Single-use Plastic Items Ban Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG), has been appointed to work with businesses to ensure they understand the ban and what they must do to comply, as well as options to manage excess stock. For more information, call the National Retail Association Hotline on 1800 844 946 or visit their website.

We have a wide range of waste regulation compliant products for you to choose from. If you need assistance trying to navigate these changes and determine what you need, contact our team on (07) 3853 5800 or email enquiries@mpmmarketing.com.au.