The following guide provides information about the proposed ban on plastic shopping bags, plastic barrier bags and plastic bread tags, as drafted in the draft Single-Use and Other Plastic Products (Waste Avoidance) (Prohibited Plastic Products) Amendment Regulations 2024.
At a glance
These bans will commence on 1 September 2024:
- Ban on all plastic barrier bags which are not Australian Standard (AS) certified compostable, used to contain or protect unpackaged fresh fruit or vegetables, nuts, confectionery, dairy products, meat, poultry or fish
- Ban on all plastic film shopping bags and plastic-laminated paper shopping bags
- Ban on all plastic bread bag tags used to close plastic bags containing food
What you need to know
What are AS certified compostable products?
Certified compostable products are made of materials that do not leave behind any toxic material, breaking down readily in a commercial, or sometimes home, composting system. This can include items that look like plastic, such as bowls, cups and bags. Labelling on these products should state the item is ‘certified compostable’ and include one of the following logos. Australia has two of the highest standards in the world when it comes to certification:
AS 4736:2006 Biodegradable plastics suitable for industrial/compostable composting and other microbial treatment
This certifies the material can be composted through a commercial composting facility. In the majority of South Australian council areas, workplace and school organics collections, and at public events, this means the material can go into the green-lidded organics bin.
AS 5810:2010 Biodegradable plastics suitable for home or commercial/industrial composting
This certifies that the material can be composted in your home compost bin. It is also suitable to go into a green-lidded organics bin.
What is the difference between Australia's industrial composting standard (AS 4736:2006) and Australia's home composting standard (AS 5810:2010)?
Commercial composting facilities generate much more heat than a home compost bin and use oxygen and water to break down materials into compost. Both AS 4736:2006 and AS 5810:2010 certified compostable products can be processed at commercial composting facilities in South Australia.
As home composting facilities do not reach the same high temperatures that are reached at commercial composting facilities, only AS 5810:2010 certified compostable products are suited to home compost systems.
Why are other compostability standards and certifications not being accepted?
While there are other compostability certifications, including from the USA and Europe, these standards are not the same as AS 4736:2006 and AS 5810:2010, which include an additional requirement of a worm toxicity test. This additional testing component is to ensure that AS certified compostable items in the compost has no toxic effect on plants and earthworms.
Why are AS certified compostable barrier bags being permitted?
South Australian households currently receive AS certified compostable (AS 4736:2006 and/or AS 5810:2010) bags from their local council or can purchase them separately to line household food waste caddies. Food waste and AS certified compostable caddy liners are accepted in all green-lidded organics bins where food is accepted alongside garden organics. More than 80% of South Australians have access to this service. Food and garden organics collections are routinely industrially composted in South Australia, contributing to a reduction of food waste in landfill and increased production of high-quality commercial compost.
AS certified compostable barrier bags can be used in household food waste caddies. Previous research in South Australia found that 3 times as much food waste was diverted in a ventilated kitchen caddy with a liner compared to households using an unlined kitchen caddy. In a separate study within a metropolitan council in South Australia, 2 supermarkets provided AS certified compostable barrier bags for loose fruit and vegetables. The trial resulted in 117% more food being diverted from landfill by residents in the council area.
Barrier bags are defined under the Single-use and Other Plastic Products (Waste Avoidance) Act 2020 (SUP Act) as a plastic bag without handles (known as either a ‘produce bag’ or ‘barrier bag’) which is used to contain and protect unpackaged fresh fruit or vegetables, nuts, confectionery, dairy products, meat, poultry or fish.
At least 2 major supermarket chains now offer AS certified compostable bags to customers for fruit and vegetables. Other South Australian businesses have moved to providing AS certified compostable barrier bags for a range of products including meat, seafood and deli products.
All barrier bags which are AS certified compostable will need to be clearly marked with their certification details so suppliers, business owners and consumers can easily identify compliant bags when purchasing them, and know that they can be disposed of in the green-lidded organics bin.
Note: Plastic straws, plastic cutlery and plastic stirrers made from any type of bioplastic will remain banned under current South Australian legislation as these products do not contribute to the capture of food waste from landfill.
Why is there an exemption for AS certified compostable shopping bags?
Plastic shopping bags under 35 microns have been banned in South Australia since 2009, and the legislation specifically excludes plastic shopping bags that are AS certified industrially compostable (AS 4736:2006). A number of South Australian businesses provide AS certified compostable shopping bags to customers in compliance with the Plastic Shopping Bags (Waste Avoidance) Act 2008 (Shopping Bag Act).
AS certified compostable barrier bags and compostable shopping bags can be used as liners for food waste kitchen caddies.
For this reason, it is proposed that the use of AS certified compostable shopping bags is retained with the inclusion of plastic shopping bags under the SUP Act.
Plastic barrier bags
What will be banned?
A plastic bag without handles (known as either a ‘produce bag’ or ‘barrier bag’) which is used to contain and protect unpackaged fresh fruit or vegetables, nuts, confectionery, dairy products, meat, poultry or fish.
It does not include plastic sleeves used to package or protect herbs or flowers. However, any barrier bag that is used to provide additional protection from leakage from packaging, such as for pre-packed meat, poultry, fish, herbs or flowers, must be AS certified compostable.
What won’t be banned?
- AS certified compostable bioplastic barrier bags clearly labelled with certification details
- Reusable bags including nylon mesh and cotton bags
- Paper bags
- Plastic bags used for non-food and non-perishable items
- Plastic zip-lock bags
- Multipacks of plastic bags sold on-shelf (such as freezer bags, storage bags, zip-lock bags, bin liners, garbage bags, nappy bag)
Thick plastic/boutique plastic shopping bags
Recent research found that 98% of South Australian survey respondents already own reusable shopping bags, and 25% of respondents do not use plastic shopping bags at all. While the representative survey found that 60% of respondents will sometimes or rarely use a heavyweight plastic bag, only 27% of respondents indicated a preference for these bags. Heavyweight plastic bags are more commonly accepted or purchased in retail settings (80%) compared to grocery shopping (70%) or takeaway food shopping (67%).
In the time since this research was conducted in 2023, the 3 major Australian supermarket chains have moved to offering paper bags for customers, instead of heavyweight plastic bags, as well as a large variety of sturdy reusable bags made from a range of materials. National retailers have also moved to offering non-plastic shopping bags in response to bans on plastic bags in Western Australia in 2022 and an upcoming ban in the ACT commencing 1 January 2024.
What will be banned?
- Heavyweight film plastic shopping bags (>35 microns)
- Plastic-laminated paper shopping bags or plastic-laminated cardboard shopping bags
What won’t be banned?
- Plastic bags which are an integral part of the packaging in which goods are sealed for sale (such as pre-packed bread, pre-packed fruit and vegetables, pre-packed hot roast chickens and pre-packed grapes)
- Shopping bags made wholly from non-plastic materials (such as paper, calico, hemp, canvas and jute)
- Multipacks of plastic bags sold on-shelf (such as freezer bags, storage bags, bin liners, garbage bags, nappy bags)
- Bags sold for gift-giving
Proposed exemptions
- AS certified compostable shopping bags
- In line with current plastic bag bans in Western Australia, and bans proposed to commence in the ACT from 1 January 2024, reusable bags made, in whole or in part, of one or more of the following fabrics will be permitted:
- nylon
- polyester
- woven polypropylene
- non-woven polypropylene, if:
- the bag has sewn, rather than heat-welded, seams
- the fabric has a minimum weight of 90g/m² measured as a single layer of fabric.
Plastic bread tags
What will be banned?
- Single-use or limited use tags, designed or intended to hold plastic bread or other food product bags closed, including (but not limited to) bread bags, produce (fruit and vegetable) bags and rice cakes
What won’t be banned?
- Similar devices attached to a label for fresh produce where it is not used to close a bag
- Cardboard single-use or limited use devices used to hold plastic bags closed
- Reusable plastic devices and clips that can be used many times to re-seal different bags after they have been opened
- Plastic tape, plastic cable ties and plastic twist tie
