South Australia pulls the plug on soy sauce fish containers
South Australia is about to become the first state in the country to ban those tiny soy sauce fish containers you’ll find in almost every sushi takeaway bag. From 1 September, the containers will be phased out alongside other single-use items like plastic straws, attached cutlery, non-compostable fruit and vegetable stickers, and prepackaged cups and bowls with meals.
The move builds on the state’s growing list of plastic bans since 2023, which already covers everything from shopping bags and stirrers to balloon sticks and pizza savers.
Environment Minister and Deputy Premier Susan Close said the popularity of soy sauce fish made them a problem item.
“Each fish-shaped container is used for just seconds, yet remains in the environment for decades or centuries if littered,” she said.
Close added: “Their small size means they’re easily dropped, blown away, or washed into drains, making them a frequent component of beach and street litter. In kerbside recycling, they’re too small to be captured by sorting machinery and often end up in landfill or as fugitive plastic in the environment. If littered, they can break into microplastics, which persist in soils, waterways, and oceans.”
She called them a “convenience packaging” item that can be swapped out for more sustainable alternatives.
Since 2021, South Australian businesses have already cut more than eight million single-use plastics. Now, other states are watching closely — with New South Wales weighing up a sauce packet phase-out and Tasmania considering similar steps.
Jonathan Jackson, 1st September 2025
