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How to reduce consumption of avoidable and single-use plastics

For individuals

Straws and stirrers

  • Single-use plastic straws and stirrers are banned and businesses cannot supply them, even when a customer asks.
  • Bring your own straw or stirrer. There are a range of reusable alternatives available on the market such as:
    • metal
    • bamboo
    • silicone.

Plastic lined coffee cups

  • Bring your own reusable cup (keep cup).
  • Do not use disposable coffee cups if you can ‘dine in’ at a café/restaurant.
  • Ask businesses to consider their use of disposable coffee cups and encourage them to use reusable alternatives.
  • Keep a reusable cup in the car for use when out and about.
  • Support businesses that provide incentives for using ‘keep cups’.
  • Encourage your friends and colleagues to avoid use of plastic lined coffee cups.

Single-use water bottles

  • Carry a reusable water bottle.
  • Fill up reusable water bottles from home (partially freezing bottled water allows the water to stay cool for a prolonged period).
  • Utilise public water fountains and refill stations.

Take-away food containers

  • Ask your take-away store if you can bring your own container and the requirements around what you can use. Then bring your own container.
  • Opt to purchase food from businesses that provide non-packaged and/or packaging that can be easily recycled or composted through available services.

Cutlery

  • Single-use plastic cutlery is banned.
  • Invest in a set of portable, reusable cutlery (e.g. stainless steel, titanium etc. most camping stores sell these).
  • Select food items that do not require cutlery.

Individual serve condiments

  • Refuse individual serve condiments.
  • Opt for items that do not require use of an individual serve condiment.
  • Opt to shop at stores that do not provide individual serve condiments.
  • Opt to shop at stores that provide refillable condiment containers.
  • Provide feedback to venues that as a customer, you would like to see them move to the use of refillable containers.

Individual serve personal care products

  • Refuse individual serve personal care products.
  • Opt to stay in locations that provide personal care products in refillable containers.
  • Take your own personal care products when travelling.

Balloons

  • The release of balloons into the environment is considered littering under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011, whether the release is intentional or accidental.
  • The outdoor release or escape of lighter-than-air (for example, helium) balloons into the environment is also banned.
  • Do not use helium balloons outdoors and reduce the use of balloons indoors.
  • Ensure all balloon pieces are disposed of appropriately after use.
  • Opt for reusable decoration options such as:
    • lanterns
    • bunting (flags on a string)
    • timber signs
    • kites
    • consider renting reusable decorations.

To reduce the impact of these items on the environment, avoid these items in the first instance, or if you need to use them, ensure they are disposed of properly.

Other

  • Be aware of how much you rely on products that you use for a short time and then throw away.
  • Consider whether there is an alternative item that has an ongoing reuse value.
  • Consider the likelihood of the plastic item entering the environment then opt for alternatives that are reusable and/or can be collected for recycling.
  • If your local council does not offer kerbside recycling, encourage them to adopt this practice.

In this guide:

  1. For individuals
  2. For businesses

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Last updated:
15 July 2024
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