Iconic item that comes with sushi sets to be BANNED in one particular region

An iconic item which comes with every set of sushi has been banned in South Australiaas part of a crackdown on single-use plastic.

Restaurants in the region have been urged to find sustainable alternatives to soy sauce fish-shaped containers. From September 1, the tiny dispensers, which can often be found intakeaway meals will be phased out.

The rules come as part of a previous legislation that prohibited carrier bags, plastic straws and cutlery in September 2023. They said the plastic fish are too small for recycling machines and often end up in waterways and mistaken for food by marine life.

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The move is the latest measure in the state’s drive to eliminate plastic products destined for landfill. The ban covers any pre-filled 30ml soy sauce container with a lid, cap or stopper, despite the fact they are made of recyclable plastic.

Environment Minister Susan Close is hoping businesses will begin to dodge single-use plastics altogether. For now, the fish-shaped containers will be swapped for soy sachets, reports ABC Australia.

"They are still plastics, but they're much lighter weight, much easier to dispose, and a lot less wasteful," she said at a press conference on Saturday. "Each fish-shaped container is used for just seconds, yet remains in the environment for decades or centuries if littered," Ms Close, who is also Deputy Premier for South Australia added.

The containers have been around since the 1950s having been invesnted in Japan and were initially made of glass or ceramics. Ms Close added: "You can imagine there is sea life that would want to eat something that looks a bit like a fish, so this is one of the worst examples, of wasteful, and harmful single-use plastic and it's about time we got rid of them."

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas welcomed the ban which is set to be enforced from today. He also spoke at the press conference and explained why the move is so important. "We know that plastics can play an important role in our economy and our society but when they're single-use, they're often going directly to waste," he said.

"And to the extent that you can minimise that waste, that has a whole range of environmental benefits. We're committed to making sure that we have a progressive government that is seeking to address environmental reform where we can, and mitigating the use of single-use plastics is a good thing to do."

The latest move will also see non-compostable stickers for fruit and vegetables phased out along with prepackaged cups and bowls for takeaway meals. In comparison, a ban on single-use plastic plates, cutlery and certain polystyrene cups and containers has been in place in England since October 2023.