The following guide provides information about the ban on pre-filled plastic soy sauce containers (including soy sauce fish containers), attached straws and cutlery, and expanded polystyrene (EPS) cup and bowl packaging
These bans will come into effect on 1 September 2025. Banned products cannot be supplied following this date.
At a glance
These bans will commence on 1 September 2025:
- Ban on pre-filled plastic soy sauce containers (including soy sauce fish containers)
- Removal of exclusion for straws and cutlery attached to or contained in a food or beverage product
- Removal of exclusion for expanded polystyrene (EPS) cup and bowl packaging
Plastic soy sauce fish containers
Small, single serve soy sauce containers are most commonly found in the shape of fish, but can also be pigs, small rectangular receptacles, and other assorted shapes. It is intended that the ban will cover all shapes of single-use rigid plastic containers, with lids, under 30 ml that are used for soy sauce and provided with takeaway foods (such as sushi).
What will be banned?
- Plastic soy sauce containers with a lid, cap or stopper, containing less than 30ml of soy sauce (including small fish-shaped containers and small rectangular containers)
What won’t be banned?
- Sachets of soy sauce and sachets of all other condiments of any size
- Squeezy packs of soy sauce and squeezy packs of all other condiments of any size
- Containers of all other condiments pre-packaged off-premise
Small cup-shaped plastic sauce containers (with or without lids) that are filled on-premise (that is, not pre-packaged offsite) will already have been banned from 1 September 2024 (see the guideline on food and beverage containers).
Single-use plastic drinking straws and single-use plastic cutlery attached to a food or beverage product
There is an exclusion for single-use plastic drinking straws and single-use plastic cutlery attached to, or contained within, a food or beverage product to enable or assist with consumption of the food or beverage. This will be removed from 1 September 2025.
Removal of this exclusion is in line with similar bans being put into place by New South Wales (from 1 January 2025) and by Victoria (from 1 January 2026).
What will be banned?
- Plastic cutlery either attached to or contained within a food container
- Plastic drinking straws attached to a drink container, for example juice drink containers
What won’t be banned?
- Plastic lollipop sticks
- Plastic ice cream sticks
- Plastic wrapping of straws or cutlery attached to container
EPS cups and EPS bowls that form part of food or beverage packaging
From 1 September 2025, the exclusion in place for pre-packaged EPS cups and EPS bowls will be removed. This includes EPS that forms an integral part of the packaging of pre-packaged single serve food or beverage products that are either ready for immediate consumption or consumption after cooling or heating of the contents.
This is in line with similar bans being put into place by New South Wales (from 1 January 2025) and by Victoria (from 1 January 2026).
What will be banned?
- Pre-packaged EPS cups or bowls containing a meal (including noodles or pasta with flavouring)
What won’t be banned?
- Heat resistant plastic packaging, but not comprised of EPS, that is used for pre-packaged meals (including instant noodles and instant pasta)
- Plastic-lined or plastic-coated paper cups and bowls that are used for pre-packaged meals (including instant noodles and instant pasta)
