Australian ban on fish-shaped plastic soy sauce dispensers a world first | South Australia

It has been a familiar landscape in Sushi shops, which have been a package service around the world for decades for decades, but it may be the beginning of the end for the iconic fish -shaped soy sauce distributor.

Southern Australia will be the first place in the world to prohibit containers under a wider prohibition on disposable plastics that came into force on September 1.

The device, known as Shoyu-Tai (or Japanese soy Snapper), was invented by Teruo Watanabe in 1954. Osaka -based company asahı Sogyoaccordingly A report from Japan’s radio Kansai.

Later, the use of glass and ceramic containers was widespread, but the emergence of cheap industrial plastics allowed a small polyethylene container to form in the form of a fish called “lunch charm”.

The invention rapidly spread to Japan and ultimately worldwide, and it is estimated that billions have been produced in the last few decades.

Under South Australia’s new lawIt is prohibited with pre -filled soy sauce containers and less than 30ml soy sauce with only one lid, lid or stopper. Plastic bags will still be allowed, but the government hopes that mass bottles or distributors will be used in sushi shops.

South Australian Environment Minister Dr. Susan Close said that each plastic fish container was used for only seconds, but “that their small dimensions are easily reduced, blown or washed to sewers, making them a frequent component of beach and street garbage”.

Close is a ‘convenience packaging’ element that can be replaced with collective or refillable consequence solutions or more manageable alternatives, ie elimination directly reduces the disposable plastic volume entering the waste flow. ”

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Other disposable plastic products included in the ban, such as plastic cutlery set and pre -packaged instant bowls, are expanded polystyrene food packages.

Dr. Nina Wootton, the University of Adelaide, said that plastic sushi fish is more damaging than the sea life can be mixed with food.

“If he has not yet divided into germs and swims in the whole form, then other organisms eating fish -eating, then he may think that he is a fish and can eat later.” He said.

“It takes some time for them to fall because they are a very thick plastic.”

Australian Naval Protection Association Campaign Manager CIP Hamilton said that it is a good start to prohibit disposable plastics, but it should be done more.

“Such bans are an important small step to reduce plastic pollution, but it is important that governments start to look at the problematic plastics in the entire system and look at it,” he said.

“What our oceans really need is that states and federal governments keep the products responsible for the products that reduce plastic production and consumption and the products they give to the shelves, otherwise Australia’s sea life and coastline will continue to suffer under the plastic pollution mountains”.