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Reducing the impact of plastic on our environment: Moving away from hard-to-recycle and single-use items

This consultation document seeks feedback on two proposals related to plastic design, use and disposal.

Proposal 1: The Government is looking to move away from hard-to-recycle plastics, starting with a phase-out of:

  • some polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene packaging
  • all oxo-degradable plastic products.

This is part of a long-term shift toward a more circular economy for plastics where packaging materials are made of higher value materials that are easier to recycle.

Proposal 2: The Government also seeks feedback on a phase-out of some single-use plastic items.

Moving away from single-use items in the future will help to encourage reuse, reduce waste to landfill, and minimise harm to the environment from plastic litter.

Submissions closed at 5 pm on 4 December 2020.

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