About the ban
A range of single-use plastic items are banned from supply in Queensland.
The banned single-use plastic items are:
- straws and stirrers
- plates, unenclosed bowls, and cutlery
- expanded polystyrene (EPS) takeaway food containers and EPS cups
- cotton buds with plastic stems
- EPS loose packaging
- plastic microbeads in rinseable personal care and cleaning products.
The outdoor release of lighter-than-air (for example, helium) balloons is also banned. You can still sell, buy, supply or use these balloons but must ensure they don’t escape into the environment.
Shopping bags made from plastic film need to meet these material and reusability requirements:
- 35 microns or more in thickness
- be made from a minimum of 80% recycled content verified by a recognised program or certification
- be durable and big enough to carry 10 kilograms of weight for at least 125 uses verified by a recognised reusability, durability or endurance test.
Reviewing the ban
We have completed a review of the current bans on single use plastic items. This review found that:
- the bans have been effective resulting in harmful plastics being removed from circulation
- they have been effective in reducing the number of single-use lightweight shopping bags supplied, used and littered in Queensland
- they have been successful in the education of people on the harmful effects of single use plastics on the natural environment
- there is a shared focus around Australia to address single use plastic items and many jurisdictions have bans in place. Bans around the country are not all the same, causing challenges for several sectors to understand and meet their requirements.
Read more about the review in the report .
Read more about the Queensland Government action on plastic pollution.
Future action on single-use plastic items
Work is underway to establish a nationally consistent approach to addressing single-use plastic items. Improving our knowledge of plastic pollution in the environment will be further informed through the establishment of the Solving Plastic Waste Cooperative Research Centre.
The Queensland Government released its Five-year roadmap for action on single-use plastic items and has been implementing the actions.
While further bans are proposed in the five-year roadmap, additional bans are temporarily paused while national harmonisation work is underway.
Who to contact
For further information on the ban – visit the Queensland Plastics Ban website for more information or call the National Retail Association Hotline on 1800 844 946.
Additional information
- Single-use Plastic Items Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS)
- Single-use plastics product ban Consultation summary
- Single-use plastics product ban Full consultation report
- Consultation report: Single-use plastic items: Consultation report on expanded polystyrene (EPS)