Drink up…plastic straws and other single-use plastic items are out as of this week

The ban on plastics in Ballarat begins this week!

The state government initiative to remove single-use plastics from our lives begins its next phase on Wednesday the 1st of February.

It will see drinking straws, cutlery, plates, drink stirrers, cotton bud sticks and expanded polystyrene food and drink containers will be banned from sale and supply across the state.

The Andrews Labor Government says it has worked with organisations like the National Retail Association to help retail and hospitality businesses prepare for the change, clocking up more than 6,500 visits to metro and regional businesses across the state.

Five exemptions to the ban are currently in place:

1. Single-use plastic drinking straws for people who need them due to a disability or for medical reasons
2. Single-use plastic cotton bud sticks for testing carried out for scientific, medical, forensic or law enforcement purposes
3. Single-use plastic cutlery, where required, in correctional and mental health facilities to prevent physical harm or injury
4. Until 1 November 2024 paper or cardboard plates lined with plastic
5. Until 1 January 2026 any single-use plastic item that is integrated into food or drink packaging (e.g., a single-use plastic spoon included in a yogurt tub).