It’s out with the old and in with the new at JO Berkefeld as they continue to transition to environmentally friendly food packaging alternatives as part of the State Government’s initiative to ban single-use plastic products.


More single-use plastics including takeaway coffee cups and ready-to-eat plastic food containers will be banned in South Australia as of September 1.


Under additional measures to avoid waste, the Mount Gambier-based hospitality packaging supplier will replace items with compostable alternatives.


The upcoming bans will also target plastic barrier bags used for items including fruit, vegetables, and confectionery, alongside thicker plastic bags found in supermarkets or boutique stores.


Plastic food bag tags, plastic confetti, balloon sticks and ties are also being banned.


Business partners and brothers Matthew and Simon Berkefeld are fourth generation at the local business, which has seen industry changes since it began in 1933.


The first stage was introduced in March 2021, which saw South Australia become the first state in Australia to prohibit single-use plastics.


The initiative has been phased in with further bans taking place in 2022 and 2023.


According to Matthew, the community has embraced the changes with most businesses having already switched over to environmentally friendly packaging.


However, he said the upcoming ban has caused some confusion.


“We’re getting a lot of customers asking ‘What can I use? What cannot I use?’ There seems to be a little bit more confusion around what is allowed and what is not allowed,” he said.


Although plastic still remains, emphasis is the plastic being “compostable”.


“We feel it’s important there is more education,” Matthew said.


“What the South Australian Government is doing is a good thing and we support it.


“It’s just a matter of educating our customers as to what they can and cannot use.”


In response the business has developed a simple guide to alleviate confusion for customers – a flyer with an image of the products being banned and its replacement.


“We could tell this ban was going to create a lot of confusion. We wanted to create something really simple and easy to look at,” Matthew said.


“We have read up on it and met with the government about it, so that we are confident we are putting the correct information out there.


“We understand change can be incredibly daunting. Often there are different information sources which can lead to quite a lot of confusion.


“To make it easier for our customers we have compiled a list of products that we sell that will be banned from September 1.


“The list also shows what will be offered as an alternative.”


The new changes will be in addition to the previous ban of plastic straws, plates, bowls and cutlery.


Among the banned items are foam trays, non-compostable coffee products including cups, lids and hinged plastic containers.


According to Matthew, the quality of the new compostable product is comparable to its replacement.


“What we have found is the world in general is heading in this way towards being environmentally friendly,” he said.


“South Australia specifically has probably sped up the process by making the ban.


“Even without the ban it’s been a natural progression.


“Even though these bans are causing big change, these products are already in the process of being used.”


Meanwhile, Simon said his customers were helping to drive changes towards environmentally friendly solutions.


“I think our customer base has probably been driving this because a lot of them want to see the changes happen,” he said.


“There is more awareness around being mindful of the environment and doing the right thing.


“From an environmental perspective it’s the right thing to stop plastic going into landfill.”


There are two types of compostable – home compostable and industrially compostable.


Home composting occurs at a much lower temperature and can take a longer period of time to decompose than industrial composting.


Industrial composting can deal with a broader range of compostable products and operates in a highly controlled setting with specific temperatures and conditions.


Industrial composting is able to apply a far higher temperature to the already pre-processed packaging material.


The high heat breaks the packaging down even further, hastening the decomposition.


Products stamped with a ‘seedling’ logo to allow consumers to clearly understand and identify packaging as compostable and biodegradable.


These products can be placed in a green waste bin to be transferred to a commercial waste facility.


The ‘cup and arrow’ logo certifies the material can be composted in home compost bin.


As for what to do with excess stock when September 1 rolls around, Simon said that is something individual businesses will need to manage.


Excess stock of banned products cannot be supplied following this date.


The State Government has developed an online information tool called Replace the Waste, which says there will be no grace period when the ban takes effect.


Those selling, supplying or distributing prohibited items could face penalties between $315 to $20,000.


Replace the Waste are interested in hearing from organisations who have developed, or are developing, suitable reusable or compostable alternatives.


There will be more bans in the future, with plastic fruit stickers, plastic soy sauce fish, pre-packaged products will no longer be sold, supplied or distributed in the state.


These bans are earmarked for discontinued use as of September 1, 2025.


Visit Replace the Waste at www.replacethewaste.sa.gov.au for more information on the bans, or www.whichbin.sa.gov.au for more information on disposing items 
responsibly.