Canberra's single-use plastic ban is being expanded, with major events at Canberra Stadium and Manuka Oval now going plastic-free.
Last year, the ACT introduced a territory-wide ban on single-use plastic cutlery, stirrers and polystyrene takeaway food and beverage containers as part of the Plastic Reduction Act 2021.
In November, the government also committed to cutting single-use plastics from the events it runs, including Australia Day in the Capital, the Royal Canberra Show and the Enlighten Festival.
Now, food vendors will be banned from using plastic bowls, plates, containers and straws at music festivals, including the National Folk Festival and Groovin the Moo, as well as sporting events.
"We very much support and look forward to working with GIO Stadium Canberra on initiatives that minimise environmental impact."
The ACT government has set a target of diverting 90 per cent of the territory's waste from landfill by 2025, and the Plastic Reduction Act plays a key part in achieving that.
Minister for Transport and City Services, Chris Steel, said the extension of the plastic ban was "another big step" in making Canberra more sustainable.
"Canberrans have shown great support for phasing out single-use plastics, and we're now working towards identifying more items to add to the list," he said.
"Food vendors who operate at NRL and Super Rugby matches at GIO Stadium, AFL and cricket matches at Manuka Oval, will now move away from single-use plastic items such as plastic bowls, plates, single-use plastic straws and takeaway containers, swapping them with items made from materials like hard cardboard or sugar-cane mulch.
But for those of us who are out of practice from attending events, let alone doing so without plastic, Mia Swainston from the Canberra Environment Centre said it all came down to planning.
"If you want to go the extra step and not take the bamboo cutlery [provided] you absolutely … can take your own cutlery when you go," she said.
"Think about taking your own picnic hamper sometimes.
Ms Swainston said she expects Canberrans to take the transition to plastic-free events in their stride.
"I think as a consumer it will be relatively seamless because there are so many alternatives out there that are not plastic," she said.
"Part of transitioning back to what is not an emergency situation but how we live with COVID now, will be bringing Keep Cups back, and also reducing the amount of single-use plastic."
Indeed, the ACT government's plastic ban may not end here; consultation is already underway to expand the list of prohibited items.
Items that could be banned from 1 July 2022 include single-use plastic straws (with exemptions for those who need them); single-use plastic fruit and vegetable produce bags; and all oxo-degradable plastic products, including degradable plastic and dog waste bags.
Cotton buds with plastic sticks could also be banned.
