More single-use plastic products on WA Government’s green hit list

The State Government hopes to have a hit list of single-use plastic products to target next year after releasing a discussion paper on the environmental issue.

Balloons, plastic cutlery and department store bags are included in more than a dozen items the Government is prepared to ban if the community supports the move.

“We will ban further plastics,” Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said. “We just want to know from the community what that plastic is.”

The minister hailed as a success last year’s banning of supermarket bags in WA and wants more products taken out of circulation.

“Feedback from the community is that we should be doing more,” Mr Dawson said.

“People are sick of cigarette butts on the ground, people are sick of going to our beaches and seeing plastic littered there.

“This is the start of a conversation and from that we’ll decide what we do next in terms of phasing out or banning single use plastics.”

He chose a Victoria Park cafe that doesn’t provide any takeaway cups to announce the 12-week consultation document.

“Over time people got used to the idea of bringing their own cups,” Antz HQ owner Matt Kenworthy said.

He said since opening in 2016, the cafe has prevented more than 220,000 cups and plastic lids going to landfill.

Mr Dawson, who is also the Disability Services Minister, said he was “loath” to ban plastic straws until there was a viable option for those disabled people who rely on them daily.

But he said single-use plastic cutlery and plates were being phased out within State Government agencies.

“I can use a big stick to bring in regulations or legislation through the Parliament, but I want to work with the community,” Mr Dawson said.