The Minns Labor Government has passed reforms to reduce plastic waste, make more products recyclable and help keep harmful plastics out of our waterways.
From plastic bread tags to balloon sticks, microbeads and lollipop sticks, the NSW Government is rolling out a wave of phase-outs as part of the NSW Plastics Plan 2.0 to tackle one of the state’s fastest-growing waste problems.
More than 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste is sent to NSW landfills each year. With more plastic entering our waterways every year, it’s predicted that without action there will be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050.
Plastic is also entering our bodies as microplastics, and the community is increasingly concerned about the amount of single-use plastics in our society.
Soy sauce fish containers will need to be recyclable and fruit and vegetable stickers will need to transition to be compostable by 2030.
The reforms also tackle the hundreds of millions of single-use coffee cups used in NSW each year. Nearly 800 million single-use cups are used in NSW each year, and most are used for only a matter of minutes before being discarded.
Takeaway coffee cups are not being banned. Instead, the changes will make it easier for people to recycle their coffee cups or use a reusable cup if they choose.
Following extensive industry consultation, the reforms will be introduced gradually and include:
- From 2028, single-use takeaway coffee cups will need to be recyclable, helping divert more waste from landfill. Takeaway coffee cups are not being banned.
- From 2028, cafes will need to offer a mug or glass when customers are dining in (instead of a disposable cup) and accept keep cups for takeaway (when clean and hygienic).
- Introducing voluntary reusable cup schemes, which allow people to borrow a keep cup. These programs will not be mandatory for small businesses.
The government will run reuse trials from as early as next year, where government-owned venues including stadiums and office buildings will offer beverages and takeaway food in reusable packaging that is designed to be returned, washed and reused.
Reuse models are already in action in several places in NSW, including at Barangaroo, at some festivals and in some stadiums.
The legislation also makes immediate changes to products such as lighter-than-air (helium) balloons in NSW, with a ban on their intentional release helping to reduce plastic pollution and protect marine wildlife and birds.
The NSW Government will continue working closely with industry on implementation, providing support, education and guidance ahead of the changes coming into effect.
The staged approach recognises the pressures facing small businesses and gives industry time to find practical, affordable ways to comply. The EPA has previously granted extensions to businesses where needed during the introduction of other plastic phase-outs, such as plastic bags and straws.
To read the NSW Plastics Plan 2.0, visit: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/Your-environment/Plastics/plastics-plan-20
Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe said:
“The days of unnecessary plastics being handed out, thrown away and left to pollute our environment are coming to an end.
“The legislation we’ve just passed contains the biggest reforms of problematic plastics in a generation and has been designed in partnership with businesses and industries to support a smooth transition to reusable alternatives.
“Our wildlife, our waterways and our health will benefit from these changes.”
