The NSW government has announced plans to phase out single-use plastic bags as part of its Plastics Plan and 20 Year Waste Strategy, released over the weekend. The strategy aims to reduce the use of plastics, increase recycling and lessen pollution. Bags will be phased out over a six-month period following the passage of necessary legislation and public feedback, meaning it could take up to a year for lightweight plastic bags to disappear from NSW forever.

The government is also considering phasing out other single-use plastic items such as straws; plates; bowls; cutlery; cups and stirrers; polystyrene food and beverage containers; oxo-degradable plastics; and heavier and boutique plastic bags.

NSW is the last state in Australia to ban plastic bags. Victoria banned them in November 2019, and Queensland banned them in June 2018. Tasmania, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the ACT also have similar policies.

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Major retailers such as Woolworths and Coles phased out single-use bags in favour of reusable ones, while Harris Farm dropped plastic in favour of paper bags and boxes.

“[The plan] sets the stage for the phase-out of priority single-use plastics, tripling the proportion of plastic recycled by 2030, reducing plastic litter by a quarter and making our state a leader in plastics research and development,” NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean said in a statement.

The six-month phase-out period has been designed to give businesses enough time to eliminate plastic bags and find sustainable alternatives. In 2018 and 2019, 60 per cent of all litter in NSW was made of plastic. The government plans to reduce this by 25 per cent by 2025, and to increase the amount of plastic waste recycled in NSW from 10 per cent to 30 per cent by 2030.

Members of the public can read the report and have their say here.