How councils can prepare for single-use plastic changes
The Single-use and Other Plastic Products (Waste Avoidance) (Prohibited Plastic Products) Amendment Regulations 2024 will be enacted from 1 September 2024.
Under these regulations, bans will target:
- plastic barrier bags for fruit, vegetables, nuts and confectionery
- thick plastic bags including supermarket or boutique-style plastic bags and singlet style takeaway bags
- single-use plastic hot and cold beverage containers (including coffee cups) and their lids
- single-use plastic food containers for ready-to-eat takeaway food
- expanded polystyrene (EPS) consumer food and beverage containers
- EPS trays
- plastic food bag tags
- plastic confetti and plastic balloon sticks/ties.
What these changes mean for councils
Several significant changes have been made to the regulations which will impact councils and communities.
This includes transition timeframes for labelling and finalising Australian Standard certification for compostable food and beverage items, as well as new exemptions for some items.
A summary table of all the changes made to the regulations are available on the Replace the Waste website.
Below is a further list of helpful single-use plastic guides councils can access:
- Guide to the ban on single-use plastic food and beverage containers (including cups)
- Guide to the ban on plastic shopping bags, plastic barrier bags and food bag tags
- Guide to the ban on plastic confetti, plastic balloon sticks and plastic balloon ties
- Guide to the 2025 ban on single-use plastics
Access information on sustainable procurement
As your council continues its journey toward reducing its carbon footprint, LGA Procurement can assist.
Our Approach to Market Responses Schedules is a free resource available to councils, which include a schedule on environmental management.
When you engage with LGA Procurement approved suppliers via Vendor Panel, you can see whether a supplier uses recycled content. This may be demonstrated through their service or product delivery, as a commitment to environmental sustainability.
Access further resources on sustainable procurement on the LGA Procurement website.
Next steps
A review of the Single-use and Other Plastic Products (Waste Avoidance) Act 2020 is coming soon and LGA will be seeking feedback and comments from members to inform our response to Green Industries South Australia.
Councils will be notified by the LGA when this consultation opens and provided instruction on how to submit feedback.
The LGA would like to hear from you about what is working well, what is not working as well as it should and what could be done to improve the effectiveness of the legislation, and the behaviour change education campaign.
In the meantime, members can review Green Industries South Australia discussion paper on single-use plastic.
If you have any questions about this review, please contact Brianna McGee, LGA Senior Policy Officer.
Find out more
For further information about South Australia’s bans on single-use and other plastic items, please visit the Replace the Waste website, or contact the Green Industries SA team.