Single-use plastic items including straws and some takeaway packaging are banned in NSW from today, forcing businesses to transition towards more environmentally friendly products made from materials such as bamboo and paper.
But new EPA regulations mean these "eco" alternatives cannot currently be composted and will end up in landfill like their plastic counterparts.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) recently clarified its guidelines around what was allowed in green compost bins, banning items such as cardboard and certified compostable packaging after research found that some products contained chemicals like PFAS, which can be harmful to human and animal health.
More than 40 councils in NSW currently run compostable food and organic waste (FOGO) programs and all councils in the state will need to adopt FOGO schemes by 2030.
But for NSW Far South Coast cafe owner Peter Haggar, restricting items such as cardboard and compostable packaging from FOGO bins will make the transition away from single-use plastics problematic.
"They've sort of closed a door on a way out, or an exit route, from single-use plastics," he said.
"They're going to have to do something about it because single-use plastics aren't just [used] in hospitality. They're also in medicine in a big way."
What is now banned?
Single-use plastic items such as straws, cutlery, stirrers, plates and bowls without spill-proof lids, and containers made from expanded polystyrene are now all banned.
The bans come after single-use plastic bags were banned in June.
The NSW EPA will enforce the plastic bans, with fines of up to $55,000 for corporations and $11,000 for individuals if they are caught supplying or using the items.
These penalties will be doubled for a manufacturer, distributor or wholesaler.
Compostable plastic items, known as bioplastics, have also been banned.
Ravi Naidu from the University of Newcastle said some certified compostable bioplastics could even be harmful to the environment.
"There has been work conducted that shows that bioplastics can break down into micro or nano plastics," he said, adding that there was research underway to create bioplastics that don't break down into toxic materials," Professor Naidu said.
"The work that has been done so far is good but there is more that we need to do.
"Nothing will be delivered until there is serious investment."
Work underway to improve compostable products
A spokesperson for the EPA said work was underway by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation to improve the safety of compostable products.
"As new evidence demonstrates significant gains, the EPA may reconsider its position," they said.
"All Australian governments have agreed that further release of PFAS into the environment from ongoing use should be prevented where practicable."
Mr Haggar said it was urgent that solutions to the disposable waste problem were found quickly.
"We need to find a way to compost everything," he said.
"A lot of businesses like mine will continue to use compostable packaging and push governments to put in place standards to make that compostable packaging PFAS-free."
