NSW is making a big environmental change this week with the banning of single-use plastic bags.
“Single-use plastic is used by many of us for just a few convenient minutes, but it remains in our environment for many years, eventually breaking into microplastics,” NSW environment minister James Griffin explained. “Single-use plastic items and packaging make up for 60% of all litter in NSW.”
If you live in the state, what does this mean for you? Not all plastic bags are included under the new ban, which is why we’ve put together this handy explainer to help you. We’ve split it into this week’s changes and the further changes coming in November.
From June 1st 2022
Banned
Lightweight plastic bags – less than 35 microns in thickness at any part
Biodegradable, compostable, and bioplastic bags
Exempt
Bin liners
Dog-poo bags
Fresh produce/deli items supermarket bags
Medical items bags
From November 1st 2022
Banned
Single-use plastic straws
Cutlery
Chopsticks
Food picks
Polystyrene containers
Single-use plastic cotton buds
Microbeads in personal care products (exfoliants, masks etc)
Exempt
Plastic straws used for medical needs
Serving utensils (tongs etc)
Plastic container lids
Hefty fines are being put in place to deter people from breaking the ban. Any business or distributor caught giving out single-use plastic bags will face fines of between $11,000 and $250,000. The National Retailers Association (NRA) has been working with businesses, however, to prepare them for the arrival of the ban.
It should be worth the effort in the end: according to the government’s estimation, 2.7 billion items will be stopped from entering landfills and the environment over the next two decades thanks to the ban. It’s part of NSW’s wider push to reduce plastic litter by a massive 30% by 2025.
So if you’re in NSW, make sure you remember that the ban comes into effect this week. No one wants to pay a fine for using a plastic bag.
