‘Single-use Plastics’ to be Phased Out in Australia From 2025 Include Plastic Utensils and Straws
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:
'Single-use plastics' to be phased out in Australia from 2025 include plastic utensils and straws:
Plastic cutlery and straws are among the types of single-use plastics to be phased out in Australia from 2025 under a plan to reduce plastic waste.
A national meeting of environment ministers on Thursday confirmed the phase-out would cover eight types of "problematic and unnecessary" plastic waste: lightweight plastic bags; plastic misleadingly labelled "degradable"; plastic utensils and stirrers; plastic straws; polystyrene food containers; polystyrene consumer goods packaging; and microbeads in personal care products.
The Australian government previously announced plans to phase out "single-use plastics" by the end of 2025, including banning the use of expanded polystyrene food containers by December 2022. But now federal, state and territory leaders have agreed on what that term will cover.
Conservationists have warned, however, the ambition will not be met unless the voluntary industry targets are backed up by tough regulation.
Queensland has passed laws to ban plastic straws, cutlery, plates, stirrers, and polystyrene food containers, with the legislation to take effect from September.
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.