More single-use plastic items will be banned in NSW from November 1 – and anyone caught supplying them could be fined up to $11,000.
The ban includes straws, cutlery, stirrers, bowls, plates, polystyrene food packaging and cotton buds.
It’s part of the state government’s plan to cut down on the 2.7 billion plastic items that are expected to end up in the natural environment over the next 20 years.
The ban also includes single-use chopsticks, food picks, single-use plastic-stemmed cotton buds, and cleansers and exfoliants containing plastic microbeads.
The ban applies to retail or hospitality businesses such as restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels as well as charities and individuals undertaking an activity for sporting, education or community purposes.
It is the second phase of the move after lightweight plastic shopping bags were banned across the state in June. The fine for retailers caught carrying the bags is $275,000.
A NSW EPA spokesman said the financial penalties would be implemented on a case-by-case basis depending on how each business is structured and how it responds to early intervention.
Businesses could be liable for an on-the-spot fine of $2750 or $11,000 court penalties for individual suppliers, including sole traders.
A maximum $55,000 penalty is on the cards for corporations and $110,000 for manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors.
What is banned?
These items will be banned from November 1, 2022:
• Single-use plastic straws
• Single-use plastic cutlery, including plastic chopsticks and sporks
• Single-use plastic stirrers
• Single-use plastic bowls (excluding bowls with a spill-proof lid)
• Single-use plastic plates
• Single-use plastic-stemmed cotton buds
• Expanded polystyrene food service items
• Plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care products, such as face and body cleansers, exfoliants and masks, shampoo, conditioner and hair dyes, and toothpaste.
Exempt from the ban
- People with a disability or medical need are exempt from the ban on single-use straws, but businesses must not display the straws.
- Serving utensils such as tongs and platters or non-EPS plastic cups.
- Pre-packaged items, including straws attached to a juice box, or a bowl in a frozen meal.
- EPS trays used for raw produce, such as raw meat, seafood, fruit or vegetables, or business-to-business transport.
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