Businesses across South Australia and Western Australia have been preparing for the next phase of single-use plastics bans this coming weekend, with many businesses using up existing stock of soon-to-be-banned items and moving to greener alternatives prior to the bans.
From this Sunday, September 1, 2024, Western Australia will officially ban single-use plastic produce bags for loose fruit and vegetables, as well as plastic lids for bowls, trays, plates and takeaway food containers.
South Australia has a longer list and will ban the sale, supply and distribution of plastic barrier bags, thick supermarket or boutique-style plastic bags, expanded polystyrene (EPS) consumer food and beverage containers, plastic confetti and plastic balloon sticks, plastic food bag tags, single-use plastic beverage containers, including coffee cups, and single-use plastic food containers.
The banned items are part of Stage 2 of Western Australia’s, and Stage 4 of South Australia’s, plans to phase out single-use plastics.
Other Australian states and territories have their own roadmaps for phasing out the use of these products.
However, while plastic reduction is a key focus for retailers, Australian Retailers Association (ARA) CEO Paul Zahra says a cohesive national plan is needed.
“Retailers recognise the importance of meeting environmental harms and support the bans despite higher costs associated with the rollout,” Zahra said in a statement this week.
“However, the fragmented state-by-state approach to managing the bans means this transition has been more costly and taken longer than necessary.
“That’s why the ARA continues to advocate for a national framework for plastics bans, to reduce complexity and cost for all parties.”
As businesses in South Australia and Western Australia get ready for some major changes when it comes to single-use plastics, SmartCompany has compiled a list to help businesses in both states navigate the changes.
The latest round of changes in South Australia represents the largest number of items to be banned since single-use plastic bans commenced in 2021, following the South Australian Parliament passing the Single-use and Other Plastic Products (Waste Avoidance) Act 2020 in September 2020.
The upcoming bans were announced in November 2022.
The South Australian government has been encouraging businesses to make sure they are ready for the next stage of South Australia’s single-use plastics bans.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Susan Close said South Australians have long supported action on unnecessary single-use plastics since the state banned light-weight plastic bags 15 years ago.
“The public have sent the message loud and clear – they want single-use plastic reduced or banned wherever possible,” she says.
“South Australia’s approach is now being adopted across the country, so the clock really is ticking on many single-use plastics.
“Many South Australian businesses have already moved away from single-use items and are embracing reusable and compostable items.
“For those businesses, when the bans kick in on September 1, it will be ‘business as usual’ as they’ve already made the swap to sustainable alternatives.
“We know that consumers are much more environmentally aware about the impact of their choices and people really are making decisions on where they shop, and what they buy based on how businesses demonstrate their commitment to sustainability.”
According to the Government of South Australia, businesses have been advised to stop ordering items that will be banned and speak to suppliers about alternative products, while also considering how they can bring in reusable options and choose sustainable options.
A government-established stakeholder taskforce, which includes representatives from business, industry, local government and industry groups, was launched in 2019 to provide advice to the government on the addition of more prohibited plastic products.
Businesses can seek support through the government-funded Plastic Free SA program, which has helped 209 businesses remove more than 10 million single-use plastic items and move to more sustainable alternatives since 2021.
The state government also has a dedicated team available to help businesses that are unsure, or need advice on alternatives and banned items. Businesses can also check the library of reusable or compostable alternatives to banned items on the Replace The Waste website.
In June 2021, the state government announced Western Australia’s Plan for Plastics and provided a roadmap towards a more sustainable plastic-free WA, which included regulations to ban single-use plastic items in two stages.
Over a year after the second stage of the WA Plan for Plastics came into effect in early 2023, Western Australia will continue to roll out its Stage 2 plans from September 1 by making it illegal to supply disposable plastic produce bags used for fresh unpackaged fruit and vegetables and disposable plastic lids for bowls, trays, and containers used for takeaway or eat-in food.
The second stage follows the completion of Stage 1 regulations in late 2022, as well as the introduction of a lightweight plastic bag ban in 2018 and a container deposit scheme in 2020.
It also includes a second set of single-use or disposable plastic items and materials that will be phased out between 1 September 2023 and 1 July 2025.
The ban applies to anyone who supplies these items in WA, including retail or hospitality businesses, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and wholesalers, community groups and not-for-profit organisations.
However, exemptions from the bans can be sought through the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation by making an application for a single-use plastic exemption.
According to the Department’s guide for business, businesses should:
Businesses adapting to the changes can also contact the National Retail Association, which is providing education and support resources, or WA Plastic Free, which is assisting food retailers, local governments, suppliers, manufacturers and composters to become plastic-free.
WA businesses can also check out the Small Business Development Corporation’s free business advisory service.
SmartCompany contacted the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation for further information on resources available to small businesses but did not receive a response prior to publication.
Never miss a story: sign up to SmartCompany’s free daily newsletter and find our best stories on LinkedIn.
