Minister for Environment, James Griffin, says it is an important step to protect our environment and create a more sustainable future for generations to come.
He says the community is disturbed by the amount of single-use plastic entering our environment, “so we’ve listened, taken action, and today we’re asking everyone across the State to stop it and swap it”.
“We started this journey in 2020, when we received 16,000 submissions in response to the proposed plastics ban, with 98 per cent of them supporting the bans,” he said.
Single use food ware and cups made from expanded polystyrene and rinse-off personal care products containing plastic microbeads, have also be banned.
In September, the NSW Government launched the Stop it and Swap it advertising campaign, featuring shocking images of plastic pollution in the ocean and a turtle choking on a plastic bag, as an important reminder about why the State is banning certain single-use plastics.
Ongoing education and support will continue to ensure businesses and consumers understand what’s banned and what’s not, including exemptions that allow the supply of some items for people with disabilities or for medical reasons.
For more information about the NSW Government’s single use plastic bans, visit http://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plastics-ban
Single use plastic bag ban extended to all other items
SINGLE use plastic items, including plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls and cotton buds, have now been banned as communities and businesses embrace a massive shift away from problematic plastics.