A circular future for the ACT: Problematic Products and Single-Use Plastic Reduction – Discussion Paper

February 2026

WasteLess welcomes the discussion paper and its emphasis on increasing reuse in the ACT.

WasteLess strongly supports increasing reuse in the ACT. Our single-use throw-away culture uses far too many resources. Using a resource multiple times, with minimal intervention (e.g. washing) in between use, results in less demand on resources and contributes to reducing our impact on the climate. WasteLess strongly supports a vision of replacing all single-use packaging with reusables. WasteLess recognises that this vision will not be achieved overnight and requires significant cultural change.

WasteLess contributed submissions to three previous consultations on phasing out and banning single-use plastics in the ACT, and we build on those in this submission, focusing on opportunities for increasing reuse, while also approaching the topic from the broader context of ‘problematic products’ as in the title of the discussion paper.

WasteLess is concerned about seeing compostables being promoted as alternatives to single-use plastics, also as stated in the discussion paper. We agree that replacing single-use plastics with compostables, paper or bamboo means replacing one single-use item with another. Such alternatives are still destined for landfill. The current ACT trials of FOGO do not allow for compostable or other non-plastic items to be placed in FOGO bags (other than caddy liners), and they cannot be recycled. Additionally, a focus on composting of single-use items sends a message that this is an acceptable or optimal outcome, taking away from incentives to increase reuse.