Single-use plastics ban

Bans on the sale, supply and use of single-use plastic now apply at every ACU campus, including the Rome campus. See how the bans may impact your work or events.

The bans on single-use plastics apply to a wide range of disposable plastic items used for either food or beverage consumption or storage and for personal care.

State governments within Australia and the European Union introduced the bans to limit the environmental harm caused by single-use plastic, a major source of the plastic litter found in creeks, rivers and oceans.

It is important to note that in Australia, these bans apply to the sale and the supply of the disposable items outlined below. This means that it is also illegal to supply banned items that were purchased before the start of the ban. This also means that even if you have single use plastic items in storage which you may have intended to use for upcoming events, you cannot use them.

The banned items differ slightly between each Australian state and EU locations, so refer to the outline below for a list of the banned items. You can also see the provided government web pages for details.

Banned single-use items according to location

ACT: Cutlery and stirrers, straws, cotton buds, lightweight bags, all oxodegradable plastics, polystyrene food containers and polystyrene beverage cups and lids.

European Union: Cutlery including chopsticks, plates, straws, cotton buds, beverage stirrers, polystyrene containers, cups and lids, all oxodegradable plastic.

New South Wales: Lightweight plastic bags, cutlery and stirrers, straws, polystyrene food containers, cotton buds, and plates and bowls without lids.

South Australia: Cutlery and stirrers, straws, lightweight bags, all oxodegradable plastics, polystyrene food containers and cups.

Victoria: Lightweight plastic bags, cutlery, food picks, sporks, splades, stirrers, straws, polystyrene food containers, cotton buds and plates.

Queensland: Straws, stirrers, plates and bowls, cutlery and polystyrene food containers and cups.

More information

If you have any questions about the bans and how they might impact your work at ACU, please contact the National Sustainability Manager, Mark Doggett.

You can also stay updated or ask related questions on the single-use plastic ban and similar sustainability at ACU initiatives by joining the Sustainability at ACU Workplace group.