There are exciting developments around the country when it comes to new laws to reduce Single Use Plastics (the bad SUPs). Boomerang's Allies and other activists met via phone link up to share news.

South Australia, ACT and Queensland are all close to announcing or introducing legislation. We need to support these efforts and encourage other jurisdictions to follow suit. The NSW Government have just published their NSW Plastics Plan Discussion Paper—Cleaning Up Our Act: Redirecting the Future of Plastic in NSW and want your input as they develop legislation. See below for some of the questions they are asking you.

The first SUPs the lead states will be saying good bye to include:

1. Plastic straws (with exemptions for medical use eg you will be able to buy them from chemists)
2. Polystyrene cups and takeaway containers
3. Plastic cutlery and stirrers

The other items Boomerang Alliance wants to see go in Phase 1 are:

1. Plastic plates, bowls and cups
2. Balloons and balloon sticks

Our Phase 2 target items:

1. Coffee cups
2. Thicker/ heavier weight plastic bags
3. Wet wipes
4. Barrier bags (used for dry goods)
5. Sauce sachets
6. Cigarette butts (a huge area!)

We will be encouraging and promoting alternative products eg reusable items first and then home compostable (to standard AS5810) and commercially compostable (AS4736) products and exposing “greenwash” ie, when products claim to be good for the environment when they actually are not.

Big news – tucked in on page 14 of the 30-page NSW Plastic Plan:

We intend to phase out lightweight plastic shopping bags (less than 35 microns think, including those made of 'degradable' and 'compostable' plastic) and are considering doing so within 6 months from passage of legislation (while avoiding the Christmas and New Year period).

Hip hip hooray!! Many people have spent years pushing for this – Plastic Bag Free NSW, Sophia Skarparis, Boomerang Allies and Greenpeace in particular. Take a bow! 

Selected questions NSW wants to ask YOU:

• Why is it hard to use less plastic?
• How can the NSW government make it easier to use less plastic?
• How can business make it easier to use less plastic?
• Do you support the phase out of the listed plastic items and materials?
• Are there other plastics that should be phased out?

Don’t miss the chance to have your say! Deadline is 5pm on 8 May 2020

LEARNER AND PROVISIONAL PLATES UPDATE

As the NSW Dept of Transport seeks to avoid its role in L and P plate plastic litter - they recently advised us:

"The current plastic L and P plates are made from recyclable material, and are classified as Code 6 recyclable plastic. I am pleased to advise Transport for NSW is investigating alternative materials for L and P plates. The options include using a more durable material, so fewer plates are used over the tenure of a learner/provisional licence holder, and more environmentally friendly material." (8/2/20)

Saying the plates are ‘recyclable' is greenwash! That doesn’t mean they are collected for recycling or aren't treated as contamination and go to landfill. We won't let them off the hook.

A Year 12 TAS (Technical and Applied Studies) Student from Penrith area has contacted us as he is working on an improved design. He is active in the Youth Parliament and calling for change. Go Connor!

It's not too late to sign our petition to the NSW Government calling for change to stop this government issued plastic pollution. Pick up lost L & P plates and post them to your local State MP or the relevant Minister (address on petition page).

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Did you know we use over 10 million plastic straws every day. Most are used for about 15 minutes and then thrown away either as waste or litter.

The Queensland Government has announced plans to introduce legislation to phase out certain plastic products and released a 'regulatory impact statement' (RIS) for public review. In the first stage of the phase-out, plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery and plates would not be allowed to be supplied to the public from July 2021. The phase-out may include, after further analysis, coffee cups, other plastics and heavyweight plastic bags.

You can see the RIS and comment at:

https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/pollution/management/waste/recovery/reduction/plastic-pollution/reducing-plastic. There is a short survey you can take on-line, or use the submission below - closing date 15 April 2020.

The government is assessing four choices to eliminate these plastic products - (1) Maintain the status quo (2) Ban these products from use (3) Implement a state-wide education campaign (4) Provide more litter collection.

Boomerang Alliance says there is only one option - Ban these products (2). There are available and preferred options for all of them, and, as the plastic bag ban has shown, litter will be drastically reduced. In the first year of the lightweight plastic bag ban, plastic bag litter reduced by 70%.

Did you know that a recent international IPSOS ‘Throwaway World’ poll on attitudes to single use plastics found that 69% of Australians favoured a ban on single use plastics, and as soon as possible.

Email your submission (template below) to: [email protected]

or post to:

Single Use Plastic Consultation
Department of Environment and Science
Office of Resource Recovery

PO Box 2454
BRISBANE 4001

SUBMISSION TEMPLATE

I support a Queensland ban on plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery and plates, with coffee cups, other plastic items and heavyweight shopping bags added as soon as possible (taking into account the needs of people with a disability). This is the most effective way to reduce plastic litter and reduce the terrible impact on wildlife from plastic pollution.

There are preferred alternatives to all these products that include not using them or having reusable products instead. If the Government plans to allow compostable alternatives, these should be required to meet the Australian compost standards for this type of packaging (AS 4736-commercial AS 5810-home).

The governments has NOT included polystyrene cups or polystyrene containers such as clam shells in the first stage of the phase-out. These polystyrene items should be included now. They are a particularly bad litter problem, have plenty of alternatives and we note that polystyrene products are included in similar proposed bans in South Australia and the ACT.

Your name and address (and signature if posting)

Back to March 2020 Newsletter page >>

Did you know that 75% of marine debris found around the coastline of Australia is plastic, and comes from local land-based sources?

The New South Wales Government has released its Cleaning Up Our Act- Redirecting the Future of Plastics in NSW Discussion Paper. It is seeking your views on how plastic waste and litter could be reduced, with four outcomes:

• The phase-out of single use plastics
• Tripling the proportion of plastics recycled in NSW by 2030
• Reducing plastic litter by 25% by 2025
• Making NSW a leader in plastic research and innovation

A welcome, long awaited promise is to phase-out lightweight plastic shopping bags (less than 35 microns thick, including those made from degradable and 'compostable' plastic).

You can read the discussion paper and respond via their simple or longer survey at https://yoursay.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plastics-plan - we encourage you to make a submission (closing date 8 May). You can make an individual submission by sending your views (key points below) to - [email protected].

The more submissions that support a single use plastics phase-out, the more likely it is to happen. Please act as soon as possible.

SUBMISSION TEMPLATE

I support urgent action to eliminate problematic and unnecessary single use plastics in NSW, including:

• A ban of lightweight plastic bags (including degradable and ‘compostable’ bags) in 2020
• A ban on single-use plastic takeaway items such as straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates/bowls, coffee cups/lids, containers and heavyweight plastic bags in 2021
• An immediate ban on polystyrene cups, bowls and containers
• An investigation into and future policies designed to reduce other single use plastics in the home, in retail, business and industry, agriculture and used in the marine environment

Your Name and address

Back to March 2020 Newsletter page >>

In August 2016 and after a long campaign by community groups and Boomerang battling the big bottlers, the Western Australian Government under the then Liberal Premier, Colin Barnett announced that it would commit to a container deposit scheme. In September 2017, after an election, the WA Government, under new ALP Premier Mark McGowan confirmed that the WA CDS would indeed go ahead and that it was scheduled to commence in January 2019.

In light of the implementation of a state-wide ban on lightweight plastic shopping bags and acknowledgement of the criticisms arising from a short implementation period for the NSW CDS in 2017, a decision was taken by the McGowan government to delay the establishment of the scheme until early 2020, to allow adequate time to plan and implement the scheme effectively across Australia’s largest state.

Legislation to establish the scheme – The Waste Avoidance Resource Recovery Amendment (Container Deposit) Bill 2018 – was passed in the WA Parliament in March, 2019, after public consultation that received more than 3000 submissions and demonstrated an overwhelming level of public support for the scheme.

The WA Government estimates that over a 20-year period, the scheme will prevent more than 700 million beverage containers from entering the litter stream and almost 6 billion containers from being sent to landfill, with a net positive benefit to the WA economy of more than $150 million. It is also anticipated that the scheme will create around 500 jobs in support of the infrastructure and processing frameworks that will emerge as the scheme gets underway.

The scheme began in October 2020 and Boomerang Alliance will review the progress of the scheme in particular consumer access for refunds and recycling rates in coming years.

For more information about the WA CDS: https://www.containersforchange.com.au/wa/

>>Back to Cash For Containers page

This page was last updated on 19 April 2022.

The South Australian Container Deposit Scheme is the legacy Australian scheme, having commenced in 1977. Collecting more than 600 million containers each year, the South Australian scheme received a National Trust Heritage Icon Award in 2017. The award recognised the positive impact that the scheme has had in reducing litter and conserving the state’s environment over its 40 years of operation.

The ongoing benefits of the scheme are readily apparent. SA reports that beverage containers make up less than 3% of the state’s litter stream, which represents the lowest percentage in any Australian state. The SA Environment Protection Authority reports a return rate of 76% for eligible beverage containers. In addition, the scheme proudly boasts a long history of supporting charities and community groups like the SA Scouting Association, which have benefited significantly from revenue received in the form of refunds donated by the SA community over many years.

The scheme is undergoing a comprehensive review including governance and expanding eligible containers.  See the 2019 review here.  A final decision is yet to be made.

For more information about the SA CDS

>>Back to Cash For Containers page

This page was last updated on 25 March 2019

The ACT Government announced in September 2016 that they would introduce a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) in early 2018 to reduce litter, recover eligible containers, increase the recycling rates of used beverage containers and help engage the community in active and positive recycling behaviours.

The scheme was officially launched on June 30th, 2018 and reported the collection of more than 450,000 containers in the first month of operation, equating to more than $45,000 in refunds paid out.

The ACT scheme is operated through a combination of Bag Drop and Go locations for returns of up to 500 containers, and Bulk Depots which can handle the return of more than 500 containers at a time. The return points are operated by charities including Vinnies, the Salvos and Anglicare, which benefit through the receipt of deposits donated by the ACT community, as well as driving increased shopper traffic to the charities’ stores and helping to increase sales revenue.

The scheme has also provided a great social enterprise model, providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities under the NDIS, through organisations such as LEAD and Sharing Places.

The materials being collected through the ACT CDS are also finding uses. Glass, plastics and other recyclables are being combined into a new road surfacing material called Reconophalt, which is being trialled in road projects around Canberra.

For a full list of returns points in the ACT, visit the ACT CDS website: https://actcds.com.au/return-points/

The ACT CDS is administered by the ACT Government under the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Amendment ACT 2017 and the Waste Management and Resource Recovery (Container Deposit Scheme) Amendment Regulation 2018 (No 1)

>>Back to Cash For Containers page

This page was last updated on 25 March 2019

The Northern Territory’s Container Deposit Scheme was initially implemented in January 2012, but the scheme’s introduction wasn’t all smooth sailing. Despite some 35 million containers being collected in the first 12 months, beverage companies including, Coca Cola, Lion and Schweppes, mounted a legal challenge against the scheme in December 2012. The beverage producers argued that the NT CDS contravened the Commonwealth Mutual Recognition Act, which seeks to ensure that products and services provided in Australian states and territories are done so under consistent conditions.

In March 2013, the beverage suppliers won the court battle on procedural grounds and the scheme ceased operation much to the disgust of the community. Activist group ‘Out of Order’ responded by placing 'Out of Order' signs on Coca Cola Amatil vending machines in capital cities across Australia, seeking to deliver a blow to drink sales nationwide for a brief period.

The NT Government, however, was determined to continue the fight and covered the cost of deposits to keep the scheme in action, while launching an appeal through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). Ultimately, the Federal Executive Council (ExCo) took the appropriate remedial action and the NT scheme was reinstated in August 2013, forcing the beverage companies to resume the repayment of deposits on eligible containers.

While the impost of the NT CDS on the beverage companies was relatively small, it is believed that the court action in the NT was designed to demonstrate the financial power of the beverage manufacturers in the hope of discouraging other jurisdictions from considering implementation of similar schemes.

Thankfully, the NT Government held its ground and placed environmental concerns ahead of big business pressure. The NT CDS continues to grow in popularity, having reached more than 84% returns in the 2018-19 financial year – a massive increase on the previous very low recycling rate.  See the regular reports.

The NT scheme is administered by the NT Environment Protection Agency under the Environment Protection (Beverage Containers and Plastic Bags) Act 2011.  It is now being reviewed by the government including expanding the scope of eligible containers such as wine and spirits and plain milk.

For more information about the NT CDS and collection depots: https://ntepa.nt.gov.au/your-environment/container-deposit-scheme/collection-depots

>>Back to Cash For Containers page

This page was last updated on 25 March 2019

It’s official! The Town of Bassendean in Perth is going plastic free, after the public launch of Boomerang Alliance’s Plastic Free Places program this week under the banner WA Plastic Free.

Bassendean’s revitalised Old Perth Road precinct was abuzz as local business owners gathered at O₂Café to learn more about the project and how they can get involved.  The program works with local food retailers, markets and events to eliminate single-use plastic and, appropriately, the whole thing got underway at O2, Bassendean’s first café to be declared a ‘Plastic-Free Champion.’

WA Plastic Free makes Bassendean WA’s first community under the Plastic Free Places program to make the shift away from single-use plastics, under the guidance of the Boomerang Alliance and with funding support by the WA Waste Authority. The program’s pilot community Noosa, in Queensland, eliminated more than 2 million pieces of single-use plastic in its first year.

WA Plastic Free Project Coordinator Amy Matheson said ‘‘Our project aims to eliminate or replace key plastic items that are commonly found in the litter stream - water bottles, straws, coffee/cups & lids, takeaway containers, foodware (cutlery, cups, plates) and plastic bags” Ms Matheson explained. “All of these items have readily available reusable or compostable alternatives. It’s our job to work with businesses and events, show them the alternatives and help them to make the switch. Once they’ve removed those key items, we declare them ‘Plastic Free Champions’ and they can enjoy all the benefits that come with that”.

After much work behind the scenes at the end of 2018, the project is in full swing and will continue to expand over the coming months. Currently, the program is centred in Bassendean, with the hope of expanding into other surrounding areas.

“The Plastic Free Places program is really unique,”said Jayne Paramor, Deputy Director of the Boomerang Alliance. “We do a lot of work behind-the-scenes to make it easy for businesses to make the switch. We work with Council, suppliers, manufacturers, composters and waste transport operators to deliver effective solutions. Bassendean is the fourth community we are working with and we look forward to achieving some exciting results.”

To find out more, head to the website www.waplasticfree.org

The growing rush to incinerate recyclable materials in response to the current loss of export markets, is entirely the wrong way to go, the Boomerang Alliance of 47 national, state and local groups said today.

Next Friday 27 April 2018, our State and Federal Environment Ministers will meet to discuss crucial issues, including the introduction of a nationwide ban on microbeads.

From personal care to dental hygiene to household cleaning, microbeads are used in an enormous range of products. They slip through our inadequate waste water filtration infrastructure and end up in the ocean. Once there, they act as a sponge for water-borne toxins and are easily mistaken as a food source by unwitting marine life, potentially adding toxins directly to the human food chain.

What’s more, without a national ban, surplus products containing microbeads that have been rejected by other countries could easily make their way to Australia, as manufacturers try to cut their losses. We can’t afford to let Australia become a potential dumping ground for these billions of pieces of microplastic.

Right now, the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, France, Sweden, Taiwan, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands have or will soon introduce bans on microbeads. Australia has no plans to do the same.

Instead the Commonwealth Government is relying on a voluntary phase out but only a national ban will eliminate the problem once and for all.

We need to put the pressure on. We need to protect marine wildlife, we need to protect the ocean. We need to protect our health.

We have only days to take action, please help us by contacting our state environment ministers and making your voice heard.