Plastic bag ban: single use plastic shopping bags are banned in New South Wales from 1 June 2022
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CURRENTLY single-use plastic items and packaging make up 60 per cent of all litter in NSW.
Single-use plastics remain in our environment for years and then eventually break down into microplastics.
These plastic bans alone will remove almost 2.7 billion items from entering the NSW environment over the next 20 years.
Single-use plastics are on the way out with a ban on lightweight plastic bags from 1 June.
Plastic bags banned from 1 June include: lightweight plastic bags of 35 microns or less (including compostable and bioplastic alternatives)
Plastics bags not banned from 1 June include:
- thicker plastic bags over 35 microns.
- barrier bags such as produce and deli bags, bin liners, compost caddy liners, nappy bags and pet-waste bags
Essentially, the light weight plastic bags that are used commonly at some take away food outlets will cease, the Coles and Woolworths bags are approximately 55 microns, so they will not be discontinued from 1st June.
Further bans on plastics will follow from November 1, which will see the following items removed from circulation including:
- single-use plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls and cotton buds.
- expanded polystyrene food ware and cups
- rinse-off personal care products containing plastic microbeads
