It’s against the law in Victoria for a retailer to sell or provide customers with plastic bags that:
- are 35 micrometres (μm) thick or less at any part of the bag, and
- carry goods sold from the premises, and
- have handles, and
- are all or partly plastic.
This includes new or reused plastic bags that are:
- degradable
- biodegradable
- compostable.
Not all plastic bags are banned. Some bags without handles are allowed, such as:
- supermarket bags used to carry loose fruit and vegetables
- plastic dry-cleaning covers
- dog waste or nappy bags
- medical waste bags
- garbage bags and bin liners.
Bags with handles are allowed if they are:
- a vital part of the packaging that seals goods or makes them available for sale
- thicker than 35 μm.
There are no officially approved plastic bags. Even if plastic bags are marketed by your supplier as ‘bag ban compliant’, it does not necessarily mean they are.
Plastic bags and the law
Under the Environment Protection Regulations 2021, it’s against the law to sell or provide customers with banned plastic bags.
The ban applies to all retailers in Victoria. This includes:
- supermarkets
- clothes shops
- charity shops
- market stallholders
- restaurants, cafes and food outlets
- convenience stores.
The ban does not apply to individuals in a private capacity.
It’s also against the law for a retailer, wholesaler or manufacturer to give false or misleading information about:
- the materials that make up a banned plastic bag
- whether a bag is banned
- whether a bag is exempt from the ban.
Bans differ between states. It’s your responsibility to understand and follow Victorian law.
There are significant penalties for not complying with the ban. We may issue a fine of:
- 2 penalty units for individuals operating a business
- 10 penalty units for a company.
In more serious circumstances, we may decide to prosecute. If you ignore a notice from us, a court may impose a penalty of up to 300 penalty units.
Our role in plastic bags
We:
- regulate Victoria’s plastic bag ban
- support business and the community to understand the ban and comply with the law
- investigate reports of banned plastic bags
- enforce the law.
Learn more about what we do.
Impact of plastic bags on the environment
The plastic bag ban aims to protect Victoria’s environment and wildlife from plastic pollution.
To learn how a small act like using a reusable bag can have a big impact, visit Sustainability Victoria.
Manage plastic bags in your business
To help your customers understand the plastic bag ban, you can display posters in-store:
If you want to provide alternative bags for customers, some options include:
- paper or cardboard bags
- cloth, jute or hessian bags
- non-woven reusable bags
- heavyweight reusable plastic bags.
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