The South Australian Government has passed legislation to end the sale, supply and distribution of plastic straws, cutlery and drink stirrers. They are the first State to get real and take a lead in the move to ban single-use plastic products.
Clive Jackson, Democrats campaigner on waste
The SA Environment Minister has also foreshadowed a move on plastic cups and fruit bags.
It is now time for the other states to act
The product and packaging industry across Australia would benefit from a consistent set of rules, and the ability to plan ahead.
This move should come as no surprise. SA Government agency, Green Industries, has consulted industry, local government and the community and has produced reports on single-use plastics, noting the time to transition to recyclable alternatives. In fact, SA has been a leader for years with a container deposit scheme, a cash refund on bottles and cans.
All items of disposable plastic become waste that is harsh on the environment and is hard to recycle.
See also post ‘Conned by plastic’ 14 August 2020
Photo by Brian Yurasits on Unsplash