Single-use plastic items are designed to be used once then discarded. Plastic does not break down for hundreds of years and ends up in landfill or as litter where it can harm wildlife and the environment.

State and federal governments across Australia are banning single-use plastic items. A number of single-use items have already been declared as prohibited plastic products in the ACT under the Plastic Reduction Act 2021.

As highlighted by the ACT Government in the ‘Phasing out single use plastics’ Next Steps Policy document, the ACT Government is considering additional bans to commence 1 July 2023 for the following items:

From 1 July 2023, the ACT Government is proposing to make regulations under the Plastic Reduction Act 2021 that would ban the following additional single-use plastic items:

• plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care, cosmetic and cleaning products
• expanded polystyrene products and packaging (with potential exemptions for white and brown goods)
• single-use plastic takeaway containers
• single-use plastic bowls and plates
• heavyweight and boutique plastic bags

Before making a regulation under the Plastic Reduction Act 2021, the Minister for Transport and City Services is required to give public notice of the proposed regulation and invite public submissions about it. The ACT Government must consider any written submissions received and also ensure there are suitable alternative products available to replace the banned plastic products.

The public notice was published on 15 September 2022, and can be found here.

You can make a written submission on any or all of the proposed items listed above. The following questions can help as a starting place:

• What impact will banning these items have?
• Are alternative products appropriate and readily available?
• Are there alternative products that can perform similarly to the banned products?
• Are there any exemptions that should be considered?

You can have your say about these items by:

emailing a written submission to singleuseplastics@act.gov.au – please use the subject title Single-use plastics: Tranche 3

mailing a submission to: Waste Policy, Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate, PO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601.

Businesses, community organisations and individuals may provide a written submission to the Minister in the period beginning on 15 September 2022 and ending on 8 December 2022.

The ACT Government thanks Canberra businesses and community groups for making this important transition away from single-use plastics and towards more sustainable alternatives.

Your input will inform the next phase of the single-use plastics ban.

Before making a submission, please review the YourSay privacy policy. Any personal information received in the course of your submission will be used only for the purposes of this community engagement process. Names of organisations may be included in any subsequent consultation report, but all individuals will be deidentified unless prior approval is gained.