In America, takeout sushi usually includes soy sauce in liquid-filled sachets. However, in Australia, soy sauce is often in cute, little fish-shaped bottles with red caps, called “shoyu-tai.”
Although novelty bottles are more fun than little plastic sachets, they are also harmful to the environment. Single-use shoyu-tai ultimately becomes plastic pollution in waterways. Their shape and size make them difficult to recycle, and they can be ingested by wildlife, especially by animals that feed on actual fish, mistaking the shoyu-tai for food.
Starting last week, South Australia prohibited the fishy packets as part of a sweeping ban on single-use plastic utensils, containers, and other takeaway items. The South Australian government hopes the cute little plastic fish will be replaced by bulk, refillable, or more manageable options.
