Single use plastics

Making the switch to sustainable products 

The following single-use plastics were banned from sale or supply in Victoria in February 2023:

• drinking straws
• cutlery including knives, forks, spoons, chopsticks, sporks, splades, food picks and sporks
• plates
• drink stirrers and sticks
• cotton bud sticks
• expanded polystyrene food and drink service containers including plates, cups, bowls, clam shells and any cover or lid. 

Types of plastics included in the ban

All forms of plastic can be bad for the environment when littered.

Single-use plastic drinking straws, cutlery, plates, drink stirrers and cotton bud sticks made from conventional, degradable and compostable materials, including bioplastic and oxo-degradable materials were banned. The ban also applies to food and drink containers made from expanded polystyrene.

The single-use plastics ban includes compostable plastic items because these items can still harm wildlife the same way conventional plastic items do, if they are littered. Many compostable plastics require processing at a specialised compost facility in order to break down.

Alternatives

Avoid single-use plastics where possible and choose reusable alternatives instead. If you cannot avoid or use reusable items, then choose single-use items made from alternative materials such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper, wood or bamboo.