South Australia’s Single-use and Other Plastic Products (Waste Avoidance) Act 2020 is the first legislation of its kind in Australia.
Plastics play an important role in our economy and daily lives. When used in packaging, plastic helps ensure food safety and reduce food waste, but too often the way it is produced, used, and discarded results in a wasted resource, and causes pollution, litter, and harm to marine life.
South Australia is taking a phased approach to banning single-use and other plastic products, enabling all South Australians to replace the waste by avoiding single-use plastics and adopting ‘clean and green’ alternatives.
We have had confirmation from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) that single-use plastic communion cups are captured under the Act, and as such are now prohibited for use.
The EPA can grant churches an extension of time to use current stocks of plastic cups whilst the transition to a compliant product takes place.
If you have stock of plastic communion cups and wish to have an extension of time to use up the stock please complete the form here. You will need to provide:
- Current number in stock
- How long you think it will take you to use them
- Church name & address
Please complete the form by Friday 11th October so that we can apply to the EPA on your behalf to be considered for an extension.
Compostable Communion Cups that can be used moving forward
There are now several compostable communion cup options on the market. Here is an example of a communion cup that fits the new guidelines.