Iconic takeaway condiment disappearing under single-use plastic rules
Sushi lovers across the country are noticing a quiet revolution inside their takeaway packs: that tiny, red-capped plastic fish filled with soy sauce is slowly being replaced.
Driven by state-by-state single-use plastic reforms and strict national packaging targets, Australia’s food service industry is phasing out the miniature squeeze-and-squirt condiment containers that have been part of desk lunches and quick bites for decades.
The soy sauce fish you find in your pack of sushi could soon be a thing of the past. iStock
Jeff Angel, Director of the Total Environment Centre (TEC) and the Boomerang Alliance, has welcomed the move.
“The things that are being rejected are the things appearing in litter,” Angel told nine.com.au.
“As we know, plastic lasts in the environment for decades or hundreds of years, contaminating the environment, killing marine life, and ultimately breaks up into microplastics, which are now being found in every human. And the health effects, it’s really becoming quite alarming.”
Formally known as shoyu-tai, these iconic fish-shaped containers were created in Japan in the 1950s and eventually became a staple across Australian sushi outlets. However, their tiny footprint contributes to a massive environmental hurdle.
Because the fish hold under 30mL and are made of lightweight soft plastic, automated sorting machines at recycling facilities simply cannot catch them.
As a result, millions end up in landfill or wash into waterways as hard-to-collect microplastics.
To stop the confusion of mismatched state rules, environment ministers across the country gathered to streamline the transition.
In a December 2024 Environment Ministers Meeting, ministers across the country, excluding Queensland, agreed to harmonise future plastic actions through the National Roadmap, which is focused out on phasing out unnecessary plastics.
The condiment container is being phased out for more eco-friendly options. Supplied/Suki Reid
Under this framework, governments are working together to reduce variations across a national target list of 24 problematic plastic items without reversing existing bans.
While the national road map aims for alignment, individual jurisdictions are moving at different speeds.
South Australia led the nation by introducing an outright ban on pre-filled plastic soy sauce containers under 30mL, including the iconic fish and small rigid pots, which prompted a statewide shift to alternative formats.
Meanwhile, other jurisdictions, including New South Wales, are tightening single-use regulations to ensure single-serve condiment packaging is fully recyclable or compostable, effectively forcing traditional non-recyclable soy sauce fish out of production.
In News South Wales, this will soon impact non-disposable takeaway coffee cups in addition to other single-use plastic products.
Iconic squeeze tomato sauce packs will also be replaced. Getty
Plastic bread tags are also being replaced in supermarkets and bakeries. iStock
The soy sauce fish is just one piece of a much larger national effort targeting 24 problematic plastic products.
The broader hit list includes everyday dining items like straws, cutlery, plates, stirrers, cups, bowls, food containers, pizza savers and single-serve tomato sauce squeeze packets.
Pizza savers will also be a thing of the past. iStock
It also encompasses various retail and commercial packaging items, including lightweight and heavyweight shopping bags, produce barrier bags, expanded polystyrene food trays and clamshells, loose-fill packaging, produce stickers, bread tags, degradable plastics, cotton buds with plastic stems, and microbeads in rinse-off personal care products.
Angel said alternatives being used by companies are either “reusable or compostable” and made from environmentally friendly materials such as paper.
In response, takeaway chains, stadium operators and quick-service restaurants are pivoting quickly to keep condiment stations fully functional while staying compliant.
Disposable takeaway coffee cups are also in the firing line. iStock
Outlets are replacing rigid fish containers with squeezable paper-and-foil sachets, certified AS 4736 home-compostable bioplastics, or counter-top glass and stainless-steel pump dispensers paired with recyclable paper dipping cups for dine-in patrons.
While saying goodbye to the nostalgic little fish marks the end of an era for Aussie sushi lovers, it’s milestone in removing hard-to-recycle microplastics from the national waste stream.
