UPDATE November 2020: Guardian Australia reports South Australia has now become the first Australian state to introduce laws banning some single-use plastics including cutlery, straws and stirrers.
South Australia's ban on single-use plastic cutlery and straws has been hailed as 'historic'.
Environmental campaigners say the laws, likely to come into force in early 2021, are historic and will help protect wildlife on land and in the oceans.
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The way South Australians shop is set to drastically change with the state government's plastic ban a step closer to reality.
In a draft Bill to be tabled in Parliament, the proposed ban would include single-use plastic items like straws, cutlery, beverage stirrers, polystyrene cups and polystyrene bowls.
It's a nation-first tactic already working for Norwood café, Brick and Mortar, who is the first South Australian business to be accredited as 'plastic-free'.
They use coffee cups and lids made from the skin of coffee beans.
"To get to the bean you have to take the husk off and that's been a massive component of waste that goes to landfill," café manager Elizabeth Donaldson said.
"This way it's taken out of the landfill and gets made into reusable coffee cups goes back into the coffee chain but in a really sustainable way." The move has been a boost to business.
"Designed for a lifetime not for landfill, it's local and I feel that our customer base is very invested," Ms Donaldson said.
Minister for Environment David Speirs announced today plastics could be banned as early as February next year.
"We will be preventing the ban of straws, plastic cutlery at the retail level but also restricting their use at community events," Mr Speirs said.
The public consultation period on the proposed laws is now open through the Green Industries SA website.
Check out this story I found: https://www.9news.com.au/national/single-use-plastic-south-australian-government-set-for-plastic-ban/0f325d85-cfc4-4726-9689-750e3bb708c6
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