Fish-shaped soy sauce containers set to be banned by South Australian government

Sushi lovers may be left feeling short-changed with one of the world’s most iconic food containers about to be banned, as one Australian state ramps up its war on single-use plastics.

The fish-shaped soy sauce containers that are added to every sushi order across the planet will no longer be available for use or distribution in South Australian from next Monday.

“Each fish-shaped container is used for just seconds, yet remains in the environment for decades or centuries if littered,” Environment Minister and Deputy Premier for South Australia, Susan Close, said.

Although the containers are made of a recyclable plastic, their small size means machines struggle to processed them properly and the vast majority are not recycled.

The ban covers any pre-filled 30ml soy sauce container that has a lid, cap or stopper and is part of an ongoing legislative campaign that began in 2023 with an aim to “reduce pollution, cut carbon emissions and protect marine life” according to the state government.

Some of the current items on the South Australian banned list include plastic carry bags, plastic straws, drinks stirrers, cotton buds and confetti.

The fish-shaped soy sauce packets, invented by Teruo Watanabe in Japan in 1954, were first made of ceramic or glass before becoming plastic - and quickly became a popular way to squeeze soy sauce onto takeaway sushi.

People will still be able to have soy sauce with their sushi, as large soy sauce bottles and sachets are not affected by the ban.

Australian officials said that, without action, the annual flow of plastic into the ocean would triple by 2040 to 29 million tonnes per year.

A global comparison of plastics waste management placed Australia seventh among 25 nations for its overall efforts to control plastic pollution.