Western Australia will phase out nine types of single-use plastic products.
From January 1, 2022, Western Australia will ban single-use plastic bowls, cold and hot food cups, plates, cutlery, stirrers, straws, expanded polystyrene food containers, thick plastic bags and helium balloon release devices.
The past six-month transition period, which allowed businesses to run out of single-use plastic products in storage and adapt to the change for all items except cups, will be extended to Oct. 1, 2022, to allow time to find alternatives.
In June 2021, the Western Australian government accelerated its plastics program by up to four years, resulting in a range of single-use plastics being phased in from January 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023.
A community education program began this month to raise awareness of the single-use plastic ban and to support community adaptation to the ban.
The statewide Plastic Free Places program will begin in March 2022 with partnerships with local governments, markets, shopping centers, businesses, industry and community organizations to achieve single-use plastic-free.
Retailer and supplier education will be implemented beginning in early 2022 to further support industry adaptation through changes in reusable or non-plastic single-use alternatives throughout the supply chain.
People who need single-use plastic straws to maintain their quality of life will be served food or beverages on an ongoing basis or sold at specific locations upon request.
Phase 2 of the plastics program, which will begin January 1, 2023, will include bans on plastic barriers/production bags, cotton swabs with plastic shafts, polystyrene packaging, microbeads, oxo-degradable plastics, bowl and cup lids, polystyrene cups and coffee mugs.
Comments from Environment Minister Reece Whitby.
"It's time for Western Australia to take the next step toward a single-use plastic-free future.
"Our state has a strong record on plastics and has been named the top jurisdiction in Australia by WWF-Australia for two years running for its work on plastics.
"With the first phase of the plastics program coming into effect from tomorrow, all Western Australians should consider changing their behaviour by adopting alternatives to single-use plastics and choosing to reuse them.
"The community has shown overwhelming support for initiatives to reduce single-use plastics; now is the time for us to act to support that sentiment."
Western Australia's plastics program.
On June 13, 2021, the State Government announced that it is accelerating the implementation of the Western Australian Plastics Program.
The plan includes the introduction of regulations to ban single-use plastic products in two phases. The first phase (short-term action) introduces regulations on January 1, 2022, and the second phase (medium-term action) will take effect on January 1, 2023.
Phase I
The first phase of regulations banning single-use plastics or disposable items goes into effect on January 1, 2022 and includes.
Plates, bowls, knives, beverage stirrers, straws, cups, thick plastic bags, expanded polystyrene (EPS) take-out food containers, and helium balloon releases.
Phase 1 regulations will begin on July 1, 2022, and all programs except the cup will begin on October 1, 2022, in order to provide time for everyone to adapt.
Phase II
Ban the use of single-use plastics or disposable items in Phase 2 by the end of 2022.
Barrier/production bags, microbeads, polystyrene packaging, polystyrene cups Coffee cups and lids, cotton swabs with plastic shafts, lids for cups and bowls, oxo-degradable plastics (plastics designed to break down into pieces more quickly under certain conditions)
The plastics program also includes actions that should be considered to reduce plastic on pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, take-out food and beverage containers and plastic packaging.
