Yahoo Finance The $11,000 fine Aussies face from November
Following the ban on single-use plastic bags, the New South Wales government is ditching a whole range of other single-use plastic items and handing out major fines to those who break the rules.
Environment Minister James Griffin said single-use plastic was an environmental disaster that had led the government to make further restrictions.
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“Single-use plastic items and packaging make up 60 per cent of all litter in NSW,” Griffin said.
“The bans will prevent almost 2.7 billion items of plastic litter from entering the environment in NSW over the next 20 years.
“These bans require businesses, many of which are in hospitality and retail, to change their supply chains, and I’m pleased to see so many have already moved away from plastic items well before the additional bans come into place in November.”
Single-use plastic bans are just the beginning of a major move away from plastic in NSW.
From November, the NSW Government is banning single-use items including:
Plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls and cotton buds
Food ware and cups made from expanded polystyrene
Rinse-off personal care products containing plastic microbeads
This comes after lightweight, single-use plastic bags were banned in NSW from June 1.
Fines for ignoring the ban will range from $11,000 for an individual to $55,000 for a company.
On behalf of the NSW government, the National Retail Association (NRA) already delivered support to more than half of the 40,000 target businesses about the single-use plastic bans, and visited more than 560 retail precincts of the 650 targeted around the state since February.
Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said the NSW government was ensuring everyone, especially small business owners in diverse communities, were ready for when the change came into effect.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our state’s economy, and we want to ensure everyone knows what they need to do so they are set up for success,” Coure said.
“We also know that many business owners in diverse areas play an integral role in helping inform their broader community about what is happening and what actions they need to take.”
The NRA has launched a free hotline (1800 844 946) to offer businesses and community organisations advice on the single-use plastic bans.
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