The Victorian single-use plastics ban has begun. As of 1 February 2023, plastic drinking straws, cutlery, plates, drink stirrers, cotton bud sticks, and expanded polystyrene food and drink containers are all banned – though there are some exemptions in healthcare settings where no alternatives are available.
Healthcare exemptions include drinking straws for people who need them due to a disability or for medical reasons; cutlery in mental health facilities to prevent physical harm or injury; and cotton bud sticks in some settings for scientific, medical or forensic testing.
In introducing the ban, Victoria becomes the latest state to legislate against single-use plastics (over and above plastic bags), following Queensland, SA, WA and NSW.
Save the date
The next ANMF (Vic Branch) Health and Environmental Sustainability Conference will be held on 27 April 2023. It will be followed on Friday 28 April by the ANMF/NMHPV Wellness Conference.
Nursing for the Environment – INTENSIVE is a practical course run twice a year by the Branch’s environmental health officer. In 2023 the course will run on Wednesday 21 June and Friday 6 October.
Members interested in promoting and advocating sustainability in their workplaces can access a wealth of resources via anmfvic.asn.au/healthenvironmentalsustainability.
