Hospitality venues, including cafes, bars, restaurants, markets and sporting arenas, are being offered help to transition to plastic free places ahead of the single-use plastics ban commencing on July 1, 2022.
The ban applies to the supply of single-use plastic items including straws and stirrers, cutlery, plates and bowls. Straws will continue to be available for people in the community who require them to meet their life needs. From October 1, 2022 Western Australian businesses can no longer supply disposable plastic cups for cold drinks.
To support businesses to make the change and find alternatives, the McGowan Government is teaming with Boomerang Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation working on waste minimisation and recycling. The alliance works with businesses’ existing local suppliers to choose the best reusable items and alternatives to plastics.
It is estimated that since it formed in 2003, Boomerang Alliance has prevented the use of more than 10 million pieces of plastic throughout Australia.
Last year, the McGowan Government fast-tracked its nation-leading Plan for Plastics by up to four years, leading to a range of single-use plastics being phased out from January 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023.
For information on how your business can get involved in plastic free places, or to look at fact sheets and videos on reducing plastics use, go to www.waplasticfree.org.
As stated by Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
“As a Government, we are committed to lowering the amount of waste that ends up in landfill and to reducing the use of single-use plastics, which are harmful for our environment.
“This has had overwhelming community support, however we understand it’s not always easy for business owners to find alternatives to single-use plastics while also running their business.
“By engaging with Boomerang Alliance, businesses can take advantage of the knowledge and experience of people who have expertise in the field, and who can offer long-term solutions.
“I urge all businesses that use single-use plastic products to register to join the program.”
