New Surf Coast council policy to reduce single-use items

Surf Coast Shire Council has delivered a major policy pivot in its drive toward a circular economy, announcing that single-use compostable packaging and items will be phased out across all council operations and leased facilities.

The move is a departure from the council’s previous approach, where compostable products were often seen as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics. Under the new Single-Use Items and Packaging Policy, which replaces the 2021 Plastic Wise Policy, all single-use items – including those labelled as compostable – are now discouraged where reusable options are available.

The central driver for the change is the contamination risk posed by compostable items to the shire’s organics processing stream. Compostable packaging cannot be accepted by the council’s Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) processor due to the potential presence of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that contaminate the final compost product and the lack of regulation of ‘compostable’ labelling.

The new policy sets a path for the complete phase-out of targeted materials over the next three years, applicable to user groups, sports clubs, community hirers, and organisers of events and markets on council land. It categorises the ban structure into three tiers:

Category One (State Bans): Items already prohibited by the Victorian Government and the Environment Protection Authority, such as lightweight plastic bags.
Category Two (Local Bans): A list of single-use items – including all single-use compostable items – to be locally phased out, alongside all plastic bags and takeaway coffee cups and lids.
Category Three (Reduce Your Use): Items that are harder to avoid but still subject to active reduction efforts, such as soft plastic packaging.

The policy has received overwhelming public support, with 93 per cent of 86 survey respondents backing the policy during the community feedback period (29 May to 4 July 2025).

The strong community support has enabled council officers to accelerate the implementation timeline from an initial five years. General facility users now face a two-year implementation period, while markets and tenants with takeaway food service have three years.

Recognising the challenges this presents for sporting clubs and market vendors, the council has committed to providing additional support. This includes a two-year testing and co-design phase for these groups, followed by a one-year implementation period.

Furthermore, the council will actively share supplier names to help users identify and procure suitable reusable and non-compostable alternatives.

The new policy is considered an essential component of the council’s broader Circular Economy Action Plan 2024-2027. Recent achievements under this strategy highlight the shire’s momentum, including the diversion of 70 per cent of household waste from landfill and the introduction of a permanent soft plastics recycling service in 2025 following a successful trial.

For more information, visit: www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au