REDUCING PLASTIC WASTE

The Australian government is planning to phase out single-use plastics by the end of 2025. An agreement was achieved during a national meeting of environment ministers last Thursday, on what items will be covered by the ban. The ‘problematic and unnecessary plastic waste’ includes:

• • lightweight plastic bags
  • plastic misleadingly labelled “degradable”
  • plastic utensils
  • plastic straws
  • polystyrene food containers
  • polystyrene consumer goods packaging
  • microbeads in personal care products

Most Australian states have already seen a ban on plastic bags and the implementation of container refund schemes. The next phase, scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, includes the ban on plastic straws, cutlery, plates, stirrers, and polystyrene food containers.

Australia produces 2.5m tonnes of plastic waste each year, with approximately 84% sent to landfill and 130,000 tonnes leaking into the environment. These changes will not only help ease the pressure on the environment but build a more climate-resilient Australia.

The goal is for Australians to use less plastic, which will be achieved through changing the way Australians produce, consume and recycle plastic. By 2025 all packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable.

Plenty of Australian businesses are already making changes to their packaging. PIP Australia implemented environmentally friendly packaging in 2020, with all new products supplied in cardboard boxes and paper bags, decorated with biodegradable labels, tape and glue.

Our Industry First, Bio-degradable bags have been specifically formulated to breakdown over a short periods of time once exposed to U.V, Heat or micro-organisms. This process of degradation has been tested to ISO 14855-1 / ASTM D5338.

We believe that when thinking about the future, we must also consider the environment. Everyone must do their bit by acting locally, to fix the global issue.