Cute but "Deadly": The Place That Banned Fish-Shaped Soy Sauce Containers

First Complete Ban on Fish-Shaped Soy Sauce Containers
South Australia Revises Polyethylene Regulations

Fish-shaped soy sauce container (photo to aid article understanding). Screenshot from Chinese platform MadeInChina

In one Australian state, the use of fish-shaped soy sauce containers will be banned as part of a crackdown on single-use plastics. These containers have become essential items in many Asian restaurants and sushi takeout shops around the world. However, starting Monday, stores and businesses in South Australia will be prohibited from selling or distributing them.

According to the BBC on August 31 (local time), the South Australian state government will implement a law on single-use plastic packaging from September 1, banning the use of polyethylene containers. This makes South Australia the first local government in the world to ban fish-shaped soy sauce containers.

Although the soy sauce containers are made from recyclable plastic polyethylene, their small size makes them difficult for machines to process properly. As a result, all soy sauce containers with a capacity of 30ml that have a lid, cap, or stopper will be subject to the law.

Australian authorities have stated that if no action is taken, the amount of plastic entering the ocean will triple by 2040, reaching 29 million tons annually. Susan Close, Deputy Premier and Minister for Environment of South Australia, previously pointed out, "Fish-shaped containers are used for only a few seconds, but once discarded, they remain in the environment for decades or even hundreds of years."

A South Australian government official stated that the policy was implemented "to reduce pollution, lower carbon emissions, and protect marine life."