Single-use plastics, including straws and cutlery, will be prohibited in South Australia from early next year after Parliament passed new legislation last week.
The Single-use and Other Plastic Products (Waste Avoidance) Bill 2020 bans the sale, supply and distribution of certain plastic products. But because of Covid-19 the ban will not come into force until early 2021.
Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs said the decision to delay implementation was made to enable businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic to adapt and prepare ahead of the ban.
“This approach strikes an appropriate balance between the public’s desire for change and the needs of businesses,” he said.
Mr Spiers said SA was the first state in Australia to introduce deposits on containers, the first state in Australia to ban lightweight plastic bags, and is now the first state to pass legislation banning single-use plastics.
The Queensland and ACT governments’ plans for legislating bans on single-use plastics are well advanced.