In a seriously short sighted move, the NSW Environment Protection Authority has breached the Parliament’s ban on plastic bowls and plates, by exempting such disposable products that are plastic lined.
Frankly the 2-year exemption is nuts. After all the fanfare about NSW finally joining other states in banning wasteful single use plastic items – the EPA decides to cave into industry pressure, taking NSW backwards.
All the plastic lined plates and bowls will be landfilled or littered – none can be composted. What's worse is that other states have banned them, so NSW will become a dumping ground for these items. The plastic lining allows some retailers to include advertising in a short term marketing push. but really it is just about more disposable plastic entering the environment. The EPA got their priorities wrong – rubbish first, environment second.
A better alternative would have been to strongly promote genuine reusable plates and bowls. These reduce plastic use and eliminate the potential for litter and waste. In NSW there are no mandatory targets to reduce the use, or increase the collection or recycling of plastic lined plates and bowls.
