Qld to expand ban on single use plastics
Nick Gibbs |

The mass release of balloons will soon be a thing of the past in Queensland and Western Australia, while the days could be numbered for takeaway coffee cups as both states move ahead with bans on plastics.
Queensland will banish polystyrene packing ‘peanuts’, plastic-stemmed cotton buds and microbeads from September 2023 under a five-year plan.
The balloon ban will target the mass release of lighter-than-air varieties from next year, while new minimum standards will be introduced for heavy plastic bags.
Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon says they will soon have to be tested for re-usability and how they can ultimately be recycled.
More than 90 per cent of Queenslanders back tightening restrictions on single-use plastics, government survey results show.
The state began phasing out lightweight plastic shopping bags in 2018 and last year outlawed a range of products including straws, stirrers and expanded polystyrene.
The latest roadmap aims to phase out other single-use plastics including disposable coffee cups, while an innovation challenge will investigate potential replacements.
“We understand these changes can have an impact on businesses and we will work with them to ensure they are ready,” Ms Scanlon said.
Bans on bait bags, bread bag tags, takeaway containers and sauce sachets will also be considered.
Similar bans have come into force in Western Australia, where, despite having the option of enforcing fines of up to $5000, the government says it will not immediately crack down on businesses.
The changes mean WA becomes the first state or territory to ban thick plastic bags and unlidded containers.
To mark the beginning of Plastic Free July, the NSW government is partnering with 17 organisations to help stop the use of single-use plastic.
Environment Minister James Griffin says almost $900,000 will go towards community education programs.
The extension of Queensland’s ban sees it edge ahead of South Australia to claim second spot on WWF Australia’s ranking for tackling single-use plastics.
“This plan will stop some of the most damaging single-use plastics from entering Queensland’s beaches and waterways,” No Plastics in Nature Policy Manager Kate Noble said.
“It will also create a real opportunity for Queensland to not just transition away from single-use plastics but move towards a more sustainable approach where re-use is normal and our use of disposables is massively reduced.”
Western Australia has maintained top spot in the rankings, South Australia is in third place with further commitments expected this year and the ACT, NSW and Victoria are tied for fourth.
Tasmania and the Northern Territory continue to lag in the bottom two places respectively.
AAP