Boomerang Alliance is calling on state and territory governments to introduce policies to promote reusable packaging, following the release of the NSW Plastic Plan 2.0. The plan includes measures to scale up public-place reuse, such as reusable cups and food containers, which the organisation says should become “the norm in Australia”.
The NSW Government Plastics Plan outlines several packaging-related actions: reuse cup systems at stadiums, public venues, government offices and corporate offices; requirements for fast food outlets and cafés to accept or offer reuse cups; and a reuse-only precinct in the Sydney CBD. According to Boomerang Alliance, recent business reuse roundtables held with the NSW EPA and Sustainability Victoria showed strong interest in shifting to reuse.
Toby Hutcheon, campaign manager at Boomerang Alliance, said, “We are calling on all Australian State and Territory Governments to follow the NSW lead and introduce policies that promote reuse, starting with reusable cups and containers in public places.”
Hutcheon said similar approaches are being adopted overseas. “Most sports stadiums, large festivals and events are obvious places where reuse systems could be effectively introduced,” he said. He added that reuse “reduces costs, GHG emissions, water use and single-use plastic waste”, provided systems are user-friendly and ensure collection, washing and reuse.
Government policies in Germany, France, the Netherlands and the UK have resulted in mainstream uptake of reuse, including cup reuse systems across stadiums and reuse services in cafés of a certain size. City-wide cup reuse schemes are already operating in Aarhus, Berlin, Lisbon and Wellington, NZ.
Boomerang Alliance has identified more than 40 Australian locations where reuse is in place, including stadiums, offices, large venues and festivals. The organisation notes that these examples have generally depended on government intervention, such as in Western Australia, or on the actions of individual businesses and organisations.
Australian venues using reusable cups include Optus Stadium and RAC Arena in Perth, GWS Giants at Engie Stadium in NSW, the Australian Open in Victoria, and festivals such as WOMAD (SA), Woodford (QLD) and Dark MOFO (Tas).
Australia is set to host major international sporting events between 2026 and 2032, including the Women’s Asian Football Cup, the Netball World Cup, the Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cups, the World Masters Games and the Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics.
Hutcheon said there will be an expectation that local venues adopt reuse before these events, adding, “Without Government intervention it is difficult to see how this will be achieved.”
