Queensland’s progress on phasing out single-use plastics has been criticised by environmental campaigners, who say the state has effectively stalled its reform agenda.

While Queensland introduced early bans on lightweight plastic shopping bags in 2018, and later expanded restrictions to items such as plastic straws, plates, cutlery and cotton buds with plastic stems, no new bans have been implemented since September 2023.

A planned set of additional restrictions, outlined in a 2022 single-use plastics roadmap, was put on hold in May that year by the Labor government, which opted to wait for a national meeting aimed at aligning approaches across states and territories.However, that process was delayed further following the 2024 state election, leaving the roadmap effectively in limbo.The Boomerang Alliance, which represents dozens of environmental organisations, has argued that Queensland is now lagging behind other jurisdictions.

Campaigners say key items such as plastic cups, supermarket produce bags, fruit stickers and polystyrene trays should be prioritised due to their contribution to litter and microplastic pollution.

Trials of reusable cup systems, including initiatives run at Queensland stadiums and a café-based program in Port Douglas involving 10,000 cups, have shown promise but face infrastructure challenges, particularly the lack of large-scale washing facilities.

The issue is also being linked to preparations for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games, with concerns that sustainability commitments may be harder to meet without stronger state-level action.While reusable systems are already in place in other states such as Western Australia, critics say Queensland has not matched this momentum.

Environment Minister Andrew Powell, who also holds the Olympics portfolio, has avoided direct questions on further bans but indicated that a new waste and recycling strategy is in development and expected later this year.Despite this, campaigners argue that progress remains unclear and fragmented, leaving Queensland’s future approach to single-use plastics uncertain.