CIRCPACK®’s Post

📢 INDUSTRY ALERT 🔔 The next stage of South Australia’s single-use plastic bans commenced on Sunday 1 September 2024. Items now banned from sale, supply and distribution (with some exemptions*) include: 🍐 plastic barrier bags when used for fruit, vegetables, nuts and confectionery 🛍 thick plastic shopping bags, including singlet style bags and plastic laminated paper shopping bags* 🥤 single-use plastic hot and cold beverage containers (including coffee cups) and their lids* 🍜 single-use plastic food containers when used for ready-to-eat takeaway food* 🧟♀️ expanded polystyrene (EPS) consumer food and beverage containers 🥩 EPS trays 🎈 plastic confetti and plastic balloon sticks/ties 🍞 plastic food bag tags*. This stage of bans is the most significant for South Australia to date, and is intended to shift industry and consumers to reusable and compostable alternatives, reduce environmental impact and contribute to a more circular economy. Learn more below and reach out to Great Plastic Rescue if you have a surplus stock pickle we can help with 🆘📦🛟🚚♻️ #singleusebans #plasticbans #replacethewaste #southaustralia #singleuse #saynotosingleuse #singleuseplastic #circulareconomy #circularity

#feelGoodFriday #positive sustainability News Would you cope with helium balloons? Plastic bread ties? Lollipop sticks? What about a discount on your coffee if you bring a reusable cup? These are some of the considerations underway by the NSW Government to reduce rubbish and plastics, open for consultation until November. These seem small but add up very quickly if everyone was required to make the changes. Without changes like these, and on a bigger scale, there will be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050. #plastics #plasticBans Read more - https://lnkd.in/gdP47s5T

🚫 **South Australia Expands Single-Use Plastic Ban!** 🌿 South Australia is taking significant steps towards a more sustainable future with the expansion of its single-use plastic ban. Here are the key highlights: - **Wider Ban Coverage**: The ban will now include more products like straws, stirrers, and certain plastic bags, pushing towards reduced plastic waste. 🌍♻️ - **Environmental Impact**: This initiative aims to protect marine life and ecosystems by reducing plastic pollution in our environment. 🐢🐟 - **Community Support**: Local businesses and communities are encouraged to join the movement toward sustainable alternatives and practices. 🤝💼 - **Leadership in Sustainability**: South Australia continues to lead the way in environmental policy, setting an example for other states and regions. 🌟 Let’s celebrate these efforts to create a cleaner, greener planet! 🙌 #Sustainability #PlasticBan #SouthAustralia #EnvironmentalProtection 👉 Read more about it here: 9 News Article https://lnkd.in/e--Exy_a

From 1st October it became illegal for businesses to provide customers with particular types of single use plastics. This is to reduce the amount of waste that cannot be recycled. The ban mainly affects businesses selling takeaway food. Plastic disposable cutlery and all food and drink containers made of expanded polystyrene are no longer permitted. Also banned are plastic balloon sticks of the sort given out by restaurants at children’s parties. More details can be found via the link below. If you have a specific enquiry about the new law then contact Trading Standards at trading.standards@thurrock.gov.uk. https://bitly.ws/38Dpc #thurrock #thurrockbusinesses #tradingstandards #singleuseplastic #singleuseplasticban #businesssupport #businessadvice

The newly released NSW Plastics Plan outlines a range of policies aimed at reducing plastic waste and litter across the state. While there are some positive actions, many of the proposals fall short of making a meaningful impact. Here’s a breakdown: ✅ The Good: Requiring food venues to accept reusable cups by 2027 is a step forward, but we should push to make reusable options available at all food outlets. Dine-in customers should never be served disposables, as seen in much of Europe. Expanding Return and Earn to include single-use cups and containers is tokenistic. Instead, why not promote reusable return systems that already work in practice? ❌ The Bad: Relying on recycling labels for single-use items won’t solve the problem. Collection services are lacking, and labels alone won’t lead to widespread recycling. Waiting until 2030 to introduce tethered caps on bottles, when Europe is already doing it, seems like a missed opportunity. Let’s aim for 2026! 🚨 The Ugly: We need stronger action on cigarette butt litter and harmful chemicals in food packaging. Solutions exist, but this plan lacks the urgency required. We need bolder actions to make a real difference. Read our full response and submit your comments on the plan today: https://lnkd.in/g89D87fT Together, we can push for stronger, more effective policies that tackle plastic waste at its source. #PlasticWaste #NSWPlasticsPlan #Sustainability #CircularEconomy

New opportunities in circular plastics for packaging are coming

EU to ban packaging for fruits and vegetables The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) to enhance food safety and promote a circular economy by making packaging in the EU safer and more sustainable. The PPWR requires all packaging to be recyclable, minimize harmful substances, reduce unnecessary packaging, boost recycled content, and improve collection and recycling. However, a revised proposal focuses on banning plastic packaging for fresh fruit and vegetables, rather than all single-use packaging, which has sparked criticism from industry leaders. They argue that the ban unfairly targets the fresh produce industry, may increase food waste, restrict access to healthy food, and have minimal impact on overall recycling rates. The agreement also sets packaging reduction targets and requires EU countries to reduce plastic packaging waste. Additionally, it mandates recyclability criteria for all packaging and introduces minimum recycled content targets for plastic packaging. Rapporteur Frédérique Ries emphasized the importance of all sectors and stakeholders working together to reduce excess packaging. #wastemanagement #circulareconomy #co2 #decarbonisation #emissions

Reflecting on those recent news while traveling in US, it's a stark reminder of the global realities we face. Traveling through Texas, it's evident that plastic consumption pervades every aspect of daily life. This raises concerns about the broader impact of such laws and their potential influence on countries pivotal to climate action. #ClimateChange #EnvironmentalAwareness

𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 In 2018, in Vanuatu’s bid to reduce waste and pollution in the river and marine environment, the nation implemented the first policy to outlaw the sale and distribution of certain single-use plastics – including plastic bags and plastic straws. The results have been impressive. As reported in a recent article by the Guardian, in the six years since the ban took effect, plastic shopping bags are hardly ever seen with most shoppers carrying reusable bags at their local market or grocery store. 🔗➡ https://lnkd.in/gMEMmt5M #ResilientPacific

#feelGoodFriday #positive sustainability news “Have here or takeaway?” “Takeaway please” “Have you got your reusable cup?” A conversation that will become more prominent in Western Australia after WA banned single use coffee cups as of 1st March. I applaud WA for being the first State in Australia to take this step, as each State continues working through their plans to reduce single use plastic waste. Businesses had 12 months to get ready for the ban, sourcing compostable cups that meet new standards or establishing a ‘library’ scheme for reusables. BUT we need to make sure the waste processing schemes are up to standard for the processing of new compostable cups; large corporates are also pushed to reduce single use plastics; and we go against fossil fuel companies who see increased plastic production as their business solution as fossil fuels are increasingly turned away from. #plastics #waste #singleuse #singleuseplastics Read more: https://lnkd.in/gkdYx2cF