Beginning Tuesday 1 November, the NSW Government’s ban on certain single-use plastic items will come into effect, so now is the time to make sure you’re prepared.

The ban is an important step in protecting our marine life and oceans and will prevent almost 2.7 billion items of plastic litter from entering the environment in NSW over the next 20 years.

Items included in the ban are:

• Single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cutlery
• Single-use plastic plates, bowls and cotton buds
• Expanded polystyrene foodware (such as clamshell containers, cups, plates and bowls)
• Rinse-off personal care products containing plastic microbeads (such as face wash in a tube, exfoliator and shampoo)

According to the NSW Environmental Protection Authority, plastic packaging and single-use plastic items make up 60% of all litter in NSW. These items take thousands of years to decompose and in the process, they cause great harm to our natural environment and wildlife.

For small businesses and consumers, it’s a good idea to be prepared.

Plastic Free Randwick, partly funded by Randwick City Council, is a community project under Boomerang Alliance's Plastic Free Places program. The organisation aims to assist local food businesses so they can become ban-compliant.

So far, 47 Randwick local businesses have joined the program and removed 300,000 single-use plastics from our environment. If you’re a small business owner and you’re and interested in learning more about how to make the switch from single-use plastics to other more sustainable choices, get in touch with Plastic Free Randwick.

If you’re a consumer and you want to help support busineses as they make the switch, here are three things you can do:

• Always bring your own bag when you go shopping
• Support businesses who are ban compliant
• Bring your own cutlery, straws and cups when buying takeaway

Will you be ready to make the switch? You can find out more about what items are banned and why, and some great alternatives at the Plastics ban NSW website.

Thanks to the success of Plastics Free Randwick, the Federal Government has recently announced more funding for the program’s expansion. Watch the announcement from Mayor Dylan Parker below.