The ACT Government is seeking community and industry feedback on the next stage of its program to reduce single-use plastics in the ACT.

The government released a discussion paper this week, A circular future for the ACT: problematic products and single-use plastic reduction, identifying 14 more items that could be phased out:

• Barrier/produce bags
• Flower bags
• Produce stickers
• Coffee cups + lids + plugs
• Cold cups
• Bowls with lids
• Sauce containers + sachets
• Soy sauce fish
• Cigarette filters
• Bread bag tags
• Food sticks (lollipops etc.)
• Pizza savers
• Prepackaged goods with integrated single-use items
• Plastic confetti.

The ACT has progressively banned single-use plastics such as plastic bags, cutlery, straws and plates under the Circular Economy Act 2023.

Environment minister Suzanne Orr MLA said the 14 items could be replaced by reusable and sustainable alternatives, and were bad for the environment: they contaminated recycling streams, could not be recycled in kerbside bins, contributed to litter, and harmed wildlife.

“Canberrans care deeply about our environment, from our bush capital reserves to our lakes and waterways,” Ms Orr said. “Cutting avoidable single‑use plastics is one of the simplest, most effective things we can do together to reduce litter, protect wildlife and move towards a circular economy.”

Community consultation is open now until Monday 27 April. To read the discussion paper and have your say, visit The ACT Government’s YourSay Conversations Website: https://yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/plastics-next-steps

“We want to hear from businesses and the community about what is practical and how Government can best support change – whether that is clear timelines, education, or enabling reuse systems – so we can work towards making reusables the norm across the ACT,” Ms Orr said.

“We are going to the public first, ensuring that businesses and the community have the chance to express their feedback and so you can let us know what’s working, what isn’t, where government can support change, and how we can collectively transition to sustainable alternatives.”

Ms Orr said the government would take a sensible, evidence‑based approach to reducing plastic that supports local businesses.

Ms Orr praised Mountain Creek Wholefoods in Griffith for replacing individual plastic containers with bulk tubs, jars, glass bottles and recyclable containers where possible.

“A lot of work has already gone into reducing single-use waste in the ACT,” Ms Orr said.

The Conservation Council ACT Region welcomes the release of the Government’s consultation paper on single use plastics.

Executive director Dr Simon Copland said: “The ACT has been a leader in Australia when it comes to reducing wasteful single use plastics. These plastics cause severe environmental impacts, polluting our waterways and ecosystems, and clogging up our landfall. We should be proud that Canberrans have embraced policies to reduce the use of these harmful products. We therefore welcome the Government continuing discussion on how we can reduce single plastics even further. 

“Reducing waste will require Canberrans to change behaviours or to adopt to new technologies or products. However, Canberrans care about our environment, and do not want to see harmful products polluting our beautiful places. So we encourage everyone to participate in this discussion to figure out ways we can all contribute to reducing waste in this city.”