The program targets cafes and restaurants, which means hospitality operators in Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay and the Redlands will be helped to banish plastic items such as straws, utensils, plates, cups and bags from their venues.

The Plastic Free Places program, a collaboration between the State Government and the Boomerang Alliance which has so far helped 600 businesses, will also be expanded to the Wide Bay and Mackay/Isaac/Whitsunday regions.

Single-use plastics reportedly account for more than 75 per cent of rubbish removed from Australian beaches.

They are particularly toxic to marine life. More than 70 per cent of loggerhead turtles found dead in Queensland waters have ingested plastic.

“We know the harm these types of plastic can cause – we’ve seen plastic bags in Sunshine Coast waterways 30-40-years-old,” Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said.

“Some businesses might already have measures in place, some might not. This free program is about helping business owners either get started or take it to the next level.”

Scanlon said the more than 600 Queensland businesses across Noosa, Central Queensland, Townsville and the far north had proved that eliminating single-use plastics could be done.

Boomerang Alliance campaign manager Toby Hutcheon said a big focus of the program would be trying to encourage the adoption of reusable food ware and BYO coffee cups.

“The Plastic Free Places program started in Queensland and is now active in every state across Australia,” he said.