Queensland’s Government is set to introduce legislation in 2020 which would enable a ban on the supply of specific single-use plastic items, starting with straws, hot and cold drink stirrers, plates and cutlery as Stage 1. The ban on these items would start on 1 July 2021.

Stage 2 would involve further analysis on additional single-use plastic items including coffee cups, other plastic cups, takeaway food containers, plastic balloon sticks and heavyweight plastic bags that may result in an extension of the legislation.

We know regulatory frameworks create results in Queensland. The ban on single-use plastic bags has helped reduce the amount of plastic bag litter in the environment by 70%, and the state's container refund scheme, implemented on November 2018, has helped reduce litter by about 35%.

The Sunshine State has now released the Single-Use Plastic Items Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement, developed to evaluate banning these particular single-use plastic products. 

With half of all plastic produced designed to be used only once—and then thrown away, the time for legislative action can’t come soon enough.

The RIS is looking at FOUR options: 

• Option 1: Maintain the status quo  
• Option 2: Introduce a legislated ban on the supply of single-use plastic straws, stirrers, plates and cutlery
• Option 3: Implement non-regulatory approaches, including greater education and awareness 
• Option 4: Install additional litter collection and clean up infrastructure.

Sea Shepherd believes we need a combination of Options 2, 3 and 4 with additional problem plastic items to be added.  

You have a chance to have your say using the following options:

Click here to take the 5-minute Online Survey 

OR

Write a Submission

Email: WastePolicy@des.qld.gov.au 

OR

Post To: Single-use Plastic Consultation 

Department of Environment and Science 

Office of Resource Recovery 

PO Box 2454 

BRISBANE QLD 4001

Closing date for feedback is 30^th April 2020.