The West Australian government has brought forward a plan to abolish single-use plastics, vowing to ban a range of items — including plastic plates, bowls, cups, cutlery and takeaway polystyrene food containers — by the end of the year.
Plastic-lined coffee cups and lids, produce bags and microbeads will be banned by the end of 2022, according to the policy.
Prepackaged fruit and vegetables will continue to be permitted to be wrapped in plastic, but "targeted feedback" will be sought from industry and research groups this year.
"We're very determined to phase out as much plastic as we possibly can," WA Premier Mark McGowan said.
"We're all heartbroken by those images we see of turtles or whales or dolphins or other creatures being killed by plastic."
Mr McGowan said the plan effectively brought forward the government's policy to eliminate single-use plastic by four years.
Single-use plastic or disposable items that will be banned by the end of the year are as follows:
- plates
- bowls
- cutlery
- stirrers
- straws
- cups
- thick plastic bags
- polystyrene takeaway food containers
- helium balloon releases
Items to be banned by the end of 2022 include:
- barrier/produce bags
- microbeads
- polystyrene packaging
- polystyrene cups
- coffee cups and lids
- cotton buds with plastic shafts
- oxo-degradable plastics (plastics designed to break up more rapidly into fragments under certain conditions)
The government said key stakeholders, community groups and government agencies would be consulted on the changes.
Supermarket plastics a federal issue: McGowan
Mr McGowan said the bans were targeting the type of plastic items that were "chucked on the ground and go into the ocean", including plastic straws and small food containers.
"I think this is a progression, and so what we're doing today is bringing forward a whole range of measures to phase out plastics both this year and next year," he said.
The Premier said he also supported finding alternatives to other forms of plastic packaging — including those used by supermarkets — but stated that would be a federal issue.
"We've got to work in an international way to make those things happen, but I'd certainly support measures being taken there and work with the Commonwealth government on that."
'If it can't be recycled, it shouldn't be made'
Environment Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the community had embraced WA's single-use plastic bag ban.
She said the proposed bans on other items were a further step to becoming plastic-free.
The government confirmed it would not be enforcing compliance for the first six months of the bans.
"We're really encouraging people to bring their own cups when they come and get a coffee and if they can't then retailers will need to provide environmentally-friendly alternatives," Ms Sanderson said.
