Single-use plastics have been banned in Queensland from today

Staff at Emerge Cafe have been offering customers an eco-friendly option when they order a takeaway meal or drink for more than a year and well in advance of the statewide ban that started today.

Keen to see everyone use eco-friendly takeaway container, cutlery and straws are Emerge Cafe staff (from left) Jack Bennett and Emily Kilah.

For the past year Toowoomba restaurants, cafes and takeaway shops have been dumping their plastic cups, cutlery and takeaway containers in favour of biodegradable alternatives ahead of a single-serve plastics ban that takes affect today.

Emerge Cafe CEO Jen Shaw said the move away from plastic could not have come sooner.

“We made the transition a while ago because we thought it was really important to use an eco-friendly option,” she said.

“I think people are really happy to get takeaway food and be eco-friendly.”

The Queensland Government estimates the ban will reduce single-use plastic pollution by 20 per cent over the next two years.

It covers single-use plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates and unenclosed bowls, as well as single-use takeaway containers and cups made from expanded polystyrene.

The ban will stop these items being supplied in Queensland, including items provided free with purchased meals or sold in packets as party supplies.

The staff at Emerge Cafe did have some hiccups along the way as they sorted through the options to find the right items balancing price, reliability and – most importantly – texture.

“People are really funny about their straws but we found a good quality one,” Ms Shaw said.

“Some biodegradable options can be a little bit dearer but in many ways they are actually better quality because plastic can be flimsy

“It is definitely worth it if you look at the long term impact on the environment.”

About half of all plastics are designed to be used once and thrown away.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said this led to plastics amounting to about 75 per cent of all waste that washes up on our beaches.

“Preventing this rubbish from ending up in our beaches and waterways will protect animals like turtles, which alone have a 20 per cent chance of dying if they ingest just one piece of plastic,” she said.

While the ban affects all business, the state government has granted some exemptions to some Queensland disability and healthcare needs.