Single-use plastic bans differ by state and keep expanding. Here is what is banned in SA, WA, VIC and QLD in 2026, what your business can still use, and how it changes your waste setup.
Single-use plastic bans have rolled out state by state over the past few years, and they keep widening. If you run a cafe, takeaway, retail shop or function venue, what you can legally hand a customer in 2026 depends on which state you are in. Here is where each state sits.
South Australia moved first and moves hardest. Plastic straws, cutlery, stirrers, plates, bowls and expanded polystyrene food containers have been banned in successive rounds since 2021. From 1 September 2025 the state added items such as plastic soy sauce fish, plastic cutlery attached to food packaging including straws, and more expanded polystyrene food packaging. SA continues to extend its list, so an Adelaide food business should assume the direction is more restriction, not less.
WA now bans a broad set of single-use items: cotton bud sticks, cutlery, stirrers, straws, plates, bowls, expanded polystyrene food and drink containers, and notably non-compostable single-use cups. From 1 October 2025 WA extended its produce-bag ban to dry goods and confectionery, and the state is moving to restrict plastic barrier bags for meat, fish and dairy. WA is one of the few jurisdictions to tackle disposable cups directly, so cafes there need compliant alternatives.
Victoria banned a range of single-use plastics in 2023, including straws, cutlery, plates, stirrers and cotton bud sticks. From 1 January 2026 Victoria extended the ban to expanded polystyrene food and drink containers and to any single-use plastic item integrated into food or drink packaging by a machine-automated process. Heavier reusable plastic bags above a set thickness remain permitted, though Sustainability Victoria encourages businesses to move away from plastic entirely.
Queensland banned single-use straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls, expanded polystyrene food and beverage containers and cotton bud sticks from 2021, with further items added since. One thing to get right: Queensland has not banned disposable coffee cups. Do not assume the WA cup rule applies in Brisbane. Each state's list is its own.
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Single-use plastic rules are set by each state and the lists keep expanding, often on staged dates through the year. What is allowed today may be banned next round. Use this as a snapshot, not a permanent reference, and confirm the current banned-items list on your state government's plastics page.
Obligations vary by state and change regularly, so check your state government plastics page and your council before you reorder packaging.
Are coffee cups banned across Australia? No. WA bans non-compostable single-use cups. Queensland and most other states have not banned disposable coffee cups. Check your own state.
Does a plastic ban change my bins? Indirectly, yes. Switching to fibre-based packaging increases cardboard and paper volume, which is worth separating, and compostable items need the right stream rather than the recycling bin.
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Western Australia bans non-compostable single-use cups. Queensland and most other states have not banned disposable coffee cups. The banned-items list differs by state, so check your own state government page.
No. Certified compostable packaging contaminates commingled recycling. It belongs in an organics service that accepts it, or otherwise in general waste. Confirm what your provider accepts.
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