How to reduce consumption of avoidable and single-use plastics
For businesses
For events and procurement activities, encouraging or mandating alternatives to single-use plastic from vendors can help to reduce these consumption practices.
Straws and drink stirrers
- Single-use plastic straws and stirrers are banned and businesses cannot supply them, even when a customer asks.
- Reconsider whether you need to provide customers with a straw. If so, provide reusable straws and stirrers that are made of:
- metal
- bamboo
- silicone.
- Provide an easy-to-access collection point for reusable straws and stirrers.
Plastic lined coffee cups
- Offer your customers an incentive to bring their own reusable cup, or to drink in store (or a disincentive for using single-use cups).
- Opt for compostable take-away coffee cups.
- Implement a mug return program, where customers can borrow a reusable mug and return it (a deposit on mugs could be required).
Single-use water bottles
- Provide customers with free water bottle refills.
- Work with other businesses and/or your community to increase the availability of water fountains and refill stations in your area.
Take-away food containers
- Understand the food health and safety guidelines and whether your business can encourage customers to bring their own containers.
- Investigate compostable packaging options and make the switch.
Cutlery
- Single-use plastic cutlery is banned.
- Invest in reusable cutlery for your business.
- Only provide single-use cutlery as an opt-in for customers.
- Opt for compostable single-use cutlery such as bamboo alternatives.
Individual serve condiments
- Provide customers with condiments in reusable packaging, such as large condiment containers that are located in a central and accessible area.
- Only provide individual serve condiments as an opt-in to customers.
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 release or escape of lighter-than-air (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 recycled or disposed of appropriately after use.
- Opt for compostable decoration options (i.e. paper decorations, bubbles).
- Opt for reusable decoration options such as:
- lanterns
- bunting (flags on a string)
- timber signs
- kites
- consider renting reusable decorations.
Individual serve personal care products
- Only provide individual serve personal care products as an opt-in service.
- Encourage/source suppliers that provide personal care products that come in compostable packaging.
- Install refillable containers for personal care products in rooms.
- Opt to provide plastic-free and/or packaging-free individual serve personal care products such as:
- shampoo bars
- condition bars
- soap bars.
Plastic wrapping
- Consider reusable carton and pallet wrapping options.
- Consider the necessity of plastic wrapping and alternative storage containers for transport of goods that do not involve plastic wrapping.
Other
- Consider whether items are single-use, or whether they have an on-going reuse value.
- Consider the likelihood of the plastic item entering the environment and opt for alternatives that are reusable and less likely to end up in the environment.
- When catering and/or hosting functions or events, aim for it to be single-use plastic free.
- As a stepping-stone to reducing your single-use plastic waste, you can also try to avoid plastics that are difficult or non-economical to recyclable. These plastics include polystyrene and PVC. You can tell these plastics by looking at the plastics number:
Polystyrene (plastic number 6)
PVC (plastic number 3)
Learn more about our plan to expand the ban.
In this guide:
- Previous ( https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/circular-economy-waste-reduction/reduction/plastic-pollution/single-use-plastics-guide/single-use-plastics-guide-individuals )