Single-use plastic ban and plastic alternatives

From 1 September 2023 the Queensland Government will expand the single-use plastic ban to include:

cotton buds with plastic stems
expanded polystyrene loose-fill packaging
plastic microbeads in rinseable personal care and cleaning products
heavy weight plastic shopping bags
the release of lighter-than-air balloons.

If you are a business and have excess stock that is now banned, apply for the Transition Support Program. This program assists businesses to use up stock and move to more sustainable options while reducing unnecessary disposal of stock to landfill.

Single-use plastic items that were banned in 2021 include: single-use straws, stirrers, plates, bowls, cutlery, and expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups.

Similar bans on single-use plastic items exist or have been pledged in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory.

Avoid and reuse

Avoiding plastic is the highest priority for businesses and residents, followed by recycling.

Businesses can avoid single-use items, including problematic and hard-to-recycle packaging by:

avoiding packaging where possible
choose alternative packaging which is easily reusable and recyclable
encourage and incentivise customers to use reusables, refillable options, or dine-in to avoid packaging waste
if you choose to use compostable packaging, provide appropriate collection bins and recycling of this type of waste with a commercial organic waste collection service.

Residents can avoid single-use items by:

saying ‘no’ at the register to packaging
taking your own food from home
dine and drink in to avoid any packaging
take reusable cups, containers, bottles, bags, cutlery, napkins, straws when buying groceries and takeaway food and drinks
choose items that are package-free, refillable, with minimal packaging and recyclable packaging.

Plastic alternatives and how to dispose of them

As we move away from single-use packaging and products, a wide range of alternatives are now available. Many of these products are labelled - biodegradable, compostable or recyclable - and it can be confusing to know how to dispose of them.

Knowing the difference between materials, and which bin to put them in, will continue to support our collective efforts to reduce waste to landfill, and reduce the wrong items going in kerbside and public bins.

Biodegradable

Biodegradable products are usually made from plastic with chemicals added, causing them to break down into smaller pieces. This can lead to micro-plastics being released into the environment. Residents are encouraged to avoid packaging marked as 'biodegradable'.

Disposal

Items labelled 'biodegradable' are not recyclable and must be placed in your general waste bin (red lid).

Compostable

There are two types of compostable packaging or serve ware:

home compostable
industrial compostable.

Home compostable

Home compostable materials refer to packaging that has been certified to Australian Standard - AS5810: Biodegradable plastics suitable for home composting.

Disposal

There are two ways to dispose of home compostable products:

home composting bin or worm farm
general waste bin.

Industrial compostable

Compostable products are sometimes labelled plant based, bioplastics or eco-plastics. For an item to be called compostable, it must be certified to the Australian Standard - AS4736: 2006 Biodegradable plastics suitable for composting and other microbial treatment.

High temperature and specific conditions are needed to decompose bio-plastics.

Disposal

There are two ways to dispose of industrial compostable packaging:

through a commercial collection provider which collects and transports material to industrial and commercial-scale composting facilities
general waste bin.

What to do with reusable products

Use the table below table to guide you on how to dispose of reusable products.

Material type	Disposal option
Wood, bamboo, and leaf products	Home compost bin and/or worm farm General waste bin (red lid)
Ceramic	Donate to an op shop if the item is in good condition Repair with Kintsugi method Repurpose for mosaic art General waste bin (red lid)
Reusable hard plastic	Donate to an op shop if the item is in good condition Take to Council’s resource recovery centres for hard plastic recycling General waste bin (red lid)
Paper plates and cups	Recycling bin (yellow lid)
Cardboard	Home compost bin and/or worm farm (if soiled by food) Recycling bin (yellow lid)
Bioplastics (sugar cane or cornstarch)	General waste bin (red lid)
Metal cutlery and camping serve ware, containers, bottles etc.	Donate to an op shop if the item is in good condition Take to Council's resource recover centres for metal recycling take General waste bin (red lid)

Making more sustainable choices

While compostable materials will eventually break down in a home or industrial composting facility, they are still a single-use product requiring resources to manufacture and transport, contributing to carbon emissions. Without a sustainable model of collection and processing, the majority of compostable items end up in landfill where they release greenhouse gas emissions.

More information

For more information on the single-use plastic ban, refer to the Queensland Government website.

Residents and businesses looking for further information can also refer to the following websites:

alternative options - see Queensland Plastics Ban website
businesses that want to commence a commercial compost service - see the Compost Connect website.

Find more ways to prevent, resuse and recycle

Last updated: 4 September 2023

Topics: waste