A month-long initiative in Sydney's Manly CBD will see local sushi retailers replace conventional plastic soy sauce fish with compostable alternatives, marking another step forward for Australian-developed packaging solution Holy Carp as it gains traction in the foodservice sector.
Launching on 1 July as part of Plastic Free July, the Soy Long to Plastic Soy Fish campaign brings together Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches, Holy Carp creator Heliograf and four Manly sushi retailers in a coordinated effort to eliminate one of the foodservice industry's most persistent single-use plastic items.
The participating businesses – Sushi Hub, Rice & Nori, Sushi Plus and Get Sashimi Manly – will replace traditional plastic soy sauce fish with alternative condiment dispensers, including the Australian-designed Holy Carp, throughout July. Organisers estimate the initiative will prevent around 10,000 plastic soy fish entering the waste stream each week.
While individual businesses have been adopting plastic-free soy sauce dispensers in recent years, the Manly initiative is significant because it represents the first coordinated precinct-wide rollout of the solution in New South Wales.
The campaign also highlights growing momentum behind Holy Carp, which PKN has been following since its development as the world's first plastic-free, home-compostable soy sauce dropper. Earlier this year, the innovation was recognised internationally as a finalist in the Sustainability Awards in Europe.
According to Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches, the campaign addresses a common but often overlooked source of marine litter.
"Plastic soy fish are one of the most common items our volunteers collect from Manly Beach, and they're a perfect example of unnecessary single-use plastic," said Jude Furniss, social impact facilitator at Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches.
"By working with local retailers to remove them at the source, we're preventing thousands of pieces of microplastic pollution before they ever reach the ocean."
Holy Carp co-founder Angus Ware said the initiative demonstrated that practical alternatives are now available to foodservice operators looking to eliminate problematic plastic packaging.
"Holy Carp was created to solve a problem hiding in plain sight. Those tiny plastic soy fish are used for seconds but pollute our environment for decades," Ware said.
"Manly's retailers are proving that better design and better choices can make a huge difference."
Developed by Heliograf in collaboration with Vert Design, Holy Carp is manufactured from plant fibre, is plastic-free and PFAS-free, and is designed to be home compostable after use.
The Manly rollout comes as regulatory pressure continues to build around problematic single-use plastics. South Australia banned plastic soy sauce fish in September 2025, while equivalent legislation in New South Wales is not anticipated until later this decade.
Environmental campaigner and seven-time world surfing champion Layne Beachley, ambassador for the initiative, said communities need not wait for legislation before taking action.
"We can't afford to wait until 2030 to do the right thing. This is a simple change that can have a meaningful impact and I'm proud to see Manly setting the standard for cleaner beaches, healthier oceans and a more sustainable future."
PKN has followed the development of Holy Carp since its launch as an Australian-designed alternative to the ubiquitous plastic soy sauce fish. A recent highlight in the evolving story is Holy Carp's recognition as a finalist in the Sustainability Awards in Europe.
