Waste Reduction and Recycling Amendment Bill 2017 (Qld)

An Act to amend the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 for particular purposes The Parliament of Queensland enacts—

1 Short title This Act may be cited as the Waste Reduction and Recycling Amendment Act 2017.

2 Commencement (1) Section 4, to the extent it inserts the following provisions, commences on 1 July 2018— (a) new sections 99D and 99E; (b) new section 99P; (c) new chapter 4, part 3B, division 3, subdivisions 1 and 2; (d) new sections 99ZB and 99ZH. (2) The following provisions commence on a day to be fixed by proclamation— (a) section 4, to the extent it inserts new chapter 4, part 3B, division 5; (b) section 34, to the extent it inserts new section 307.

3 Act amended This Act amends the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011.

4 Insertion of new ch 4, pts 3A and 3B Chapter 4— insert—

Part 3A Banned plastic shopping bags

99A Objects of part The objects of this part are to— (a) reduce plastic pollution by reducing the number of plastic bags that become waste and enter the environment as litter; and (b) encourage retailers and consumers to— (i) reduce the overall use of carry bags by considering whether it is necessary on every occasion to use a bag to carry goods; and (ii) use alternative shopping bags.

99B Meaning of banned plastic shopping bag and alternative shopping bag (1) A banned plastic shopping bag is a carry bag with handles— (a) made, in whole or part, of plastic (whether or not the plastic is degradable) that has a thickness of less than— (i) the thickness prescribed by regulation; or (ii) if a thickness has not been prescribed by regulation—35 microns; or (b) prescribed by regulation to be a banned plastic shopping bag. (2) However, each of the following is not a banned plastic shopping bag— (a) a barrier bag; (b) a plastic bag that is, or is an integral part of, the packaging in which goods are sealed for sale; (c) a bag that is prescribed by regulation to not be a banned plastic shopping bag. (3) An alternative shopping bag is a bag, other than a banned plastic shopping bag, that is suitable to be used to carry goods from a retailer's premises. (4) In this section— AS 4736 means the Australian Standard for biodegradable plastics as in force from time to time under that designation (regardless of the edition or year of publication of the standard). barrier bag means a plastic bag used to carry unpackaged perishable food. Examples of unpackaged perishable foods— fruit, vegetables, meat, fish degradable, for plastic, means plastic that is— (a) biodegradable, including material that is compostable under AS 4736; or (b) designed to degrade and break into fragments over time.