Victorian Greens look to extend single-use plastic ban

The Victorian Greens will introduce an amendment to ban more than just single-use plastic bags in a bid to save the environment from further damage.

The Victorian Greens are looking to extended a ban on single-use plastics

The Victorian Greens are looking to extended a ban on single-use plastics Source: AAP

The Victorian Greens are set to introduce an amendment on Thursday to extend the state's ban on single-use plastics to other items including straws, stirrers, cutlery, cotton tips, polystyrene takeaway containers and cups.

Single-use plastic shopping bags will be banned across the state from 1 November.

State party Leader Samantha Ratnam called on the Labor government to work harder to reduce the damage to the environment beyond just single-use plastic bags.

"A good government would show real leadership by banning the many other unnecessary single-use plastics that are discarded on a daily basis and ultimately found in our streams and waterways," Ms Ratnam said in a statement ahead of introducing the amendment.

"Without proper leadership on this issue, we'll see increased levels of stockpiling and plastic pollution. We need to break free from plastic."
Victorian Greens Leader Samantha Ratnam
Victorian Greens Leader Samantha Ratnam Source: AAP
It comes as the state's recycling system continues its crisis, with councils forced to send some of their rubbish to landfill in the absence of enough processors.

The Victorian government gave a $10 million lifeline to the receivers of Victoria's largest recycling processor SKM, after the company went bust and left behind tonnes of stockpiled waste.

The loaned money will help pay for repairs and maintenance on machines at four sorting sites in an effort to prevent the recycling from going to landfill.

The state government and local councils may trial increasing the number of household recycling bins to reduce contamination as part of a longer-term solution.


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