“Unrealistic”: Peak retail body asks ACT government to revisit plastic ban deadline for businesses

Businesses in the Australian Capital Territory need more than a month to prepare for the next phase of the territory government’s ban on single-use plastic items, according to the Australian Retailers Association.

With the next stage of the ban coming into effect from July 1, the peak retail body has labelled the deadline as “unrealistic” and urged the government to revisit the dates. 

In May, the ACT government announced it would ban additional single-use plastics including single-use plastic plates and bowls, expanded polystyrene loose-fill packaging and trays, and products containing plastic microbeads from July 1, 2023. Heavier “boutique” plastic bags will also be banned from January 1, 2024.

Giving businesses more time to prepare would improve the success of the scheme, optimise consumer engagement and reduce the impact, particularly on small businesses, says the ARA. 

More than a month’s notice needed: ARA

Since 2021, the ACT has joined other states and territories in banning single-use plastics, with phases and stages continuing to be rolled out or extended across Australia. 

South Australia’s ban commenced on March 1, 2021, and Queensland followed later that year on September 1, 2021. In February 2023, Victoria’s laws banning single-use plastic came into effect and under the NT Circular Economy Strategy, the Northern Territory government has committed to banning single-use plastics by 2025.

In November 2022, the New South Wales government’s ban on single-use plastics commenced and Western Australia also passed laws to ban single-use plastics, with the second stage commencing in February 2023.

ARA CEO Paul Zahra said while retailers are strongly aligned with the move towards sustainable practices, the last-minute notice around the bans to take effect in the ACT in July 2023 fails to give retailers adequate time to prepare for and implement changes.

“Reducing plastic pollution is of utmost importance and we fully support moves to ban single-use plastics – but it requires a practical and collaborative approach between government, industry and consumers,” he said in a statement this week. 

“We have participated in good faith consultation with the government on these bans and are disappointed that the operational logistics of industry have not been considered.

“We are concerned that, without sufficient time to prepare for these bans, the unintended consequence is that we could see a lot of single-use plastic end up in landfill which has environmental and financial ramifications.”

Zahra added that this is an avoidable set of consequences that could be alleviated with improved planning and communication.

“Retailers require more than three months’ notice to design, acquire and test safe alternatives to single-use plastics. This isn’t something that can be achieved in a month,” he said.

“Customers also need adequate knowledge about changes and replacement practices. This is a standard consideration in any change campaign.

“We would like to work with the ACT government to develop an implementation timeline that our members can happily support and realistically meet.”

The ARA is calling for a deferral of the timelines by three months, or for the government to offer a three-month grace period between the regulations coming into effect and enforcement activities commencing.

“While we are encouraged that the ACT has traditionally taken an education over enforcement approach, our members and their customers do need the clarity of knowing when the bans will come into effect and when they will be enforced,” he added. 

“Single-use plastics make up a third of the waste we see in our environment. Addressing the challenge of plastic pollution remains a top priority for the retail sector but if we set unrealistic time frames in the transition, we are setting ourselves up to fail.

“It is especially difficult for small businesses to respond to these changes in such a short period of time.”

‘Strong’ support for plastics bans, says Minister

ACT Transport and City Services Minister Chris Steel said there has been strong support for the shift away from single-use plastics and the transition to using more sustainable materials, which protect the local environment and reduce harmful waste going to landfill.

“From January next year, plastic bags currently available at major supermarkets and retailers will be banned in a major win for the environment and our community,” the minister said at the end of May. 

“The ACT government undertook a 12-week consultation to inform our decision on the latest banned items, and we thank the community and industry for providing their valuable feedback on this.

“Other types of single-use plastics were included in the list of proposed items. The consultation identified, however, that no suitable alternatives are currently available for these items. As a result, they have not been included in this ban but may be considered in the future as better susbstitutes are developed.

“Industry also told us they need time to prepare for the ban, particularly in relation to banning additional plastic bags. The ACT Government has listened to this and the ban on heavyweight and boutique plastic bags will not start for six months and we have also put in place other appropriate exemptions for some other items.”

Additionally, the ACT government has indicated it will consult on expanding the container deposit scheme to include wine, spirit and cordial bottles.