Australia plans to phase out 'problematic and unnecessary' plastic products by 2025

Australia's environment ministers have agreed to phase out a raft of single-use plastics by 2025 in a bid to provide national consistency for industry.

Australia's environment ministers have agreed to phase out a raft of single-use plastics by 2025.

Australia's environment ministers have agreed to phase out a raft of single-use plastics by 2025. Source: CTK

Australia's environment ministers are planning to phase out a range of "problematic and unnecessary" plastic products over the next four years.

Lightweight plastic bags, straws, utensils and stirrers are among the list of products the ministers want to eliminate by 2025.

The hit list was created to provide greater certainty for industry, as the states have been chasing differing bans on plastic items.
South Australia's Liberal government has been ahead of the curve, with single-use plastics banned in the state since March.

Victoria and Western Australia already plan to phase out and ban a raft of plastic items by 2023.

Queensland and the ACT have also passed laws to ban single-use plastics including straws, stirrers, cutlery and plates and bowls.
As a result of the meeting, Tasmania and the Northern Territory now have commitments to see single-use plastics phased out by 2025.

Among the products to be eliminated are lightweight plastic bags, plastic bags misleadingly termed as degradable, and plastic straws, utensils and stirrers.

Expanded polystyrene food containers like cups and takeaway boxes, expanded polystyrene packaging, and microbeads in personal care products will also be eliminated.


Share
Published 16 April 2021 9:54am
Updated 16 April 2021 10:06am
Source: AAP, SBS



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world