Turning the tide on single-use plastics: Discussion paper (2019)

As South Australians, we have a history of leading the nation in waste management. From our Container Deposit Scheme to the Plastic Bag ban, our state has a lot to be proud of. We are committed to keeping South Australia at the forefront of recycling and resource recovery while also increasing economic activity and creating jobs. Much of what we refer to as wastes are in fact resources that we should strive to keep circulating within the economy. 

South Australia is well placed to build on the success of existing legislation for beverage containers and single-use plastic bags. A similar approach could be used for a wide range of other single-use plastic products, which, like plastic bags, are largely intended for disposal after a single-use, and for many of these products there remains no feasible recycling pathway. 

The  Government is seeking your ideas and feedback on how we as a state can better protect our natural resources and environment from impacts associated with single-use or throwaway plastic products. Additionally, ten years on from the last change to the popular Container Deposit Scheme (CDS), it is time to consider opportunities to further improve the scheme, including in terms of its contribution to recycling. 

We are seeking your feedback on the issues and opportunities to be considered in a review of the CDS.

Continuing to find innovative solutions that reduce waste, improve our environment and benefit our community is critical to ensuring South Australia continues to lead the nation in waste management. Single-use plastics are attracting considerable local, national and international interest and the South Australian community has increasingly been calling for action on items such as plastic bags, coffee cups and polystyrene.

This discussion paper seeks to further the public conversation around a range of single-use plastic products that are impacting our environment. It draws upon a significant amount of information from the European Union (EU) and other places to inform this conversation.