Tackling our waste together
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We all know the impact plastic has on our oceans and marine life, so we need to tackle plastic pollution at both an individual and government level.
How’s the Northern Beaches doing?The good news is that many Northern Beaches’ locals have been refusing single use plastics such as plastic bags, bottles, straws and coffee cups, and using sustainable alternatives instead for some time now.
Many residents have pledged to ‘Swap this for that’ and are embracing sustainable alternatives - if you haven’t, now is a good time to also get on board!
Our local businesses are joining the fight too – many have already joined our Swap for Good business program and are moving away from single use plastics. Local school canteens are also joining the movement.
A new plastics plan for AustraliaIt is heartening to see other levels of government are joining the fight, too. The federal government recently released its National Plastics Plan.
The plan will help to address some of the confusion over labels such as ‘biodegradable’, ‘degradable’ and ‘compostable’.
The National Plastics Plan addresses ‘degradable’ plastic made from traditional fossil fuels with a chemical additive to make it break up into tiny pieces. By July 2022, plastic packaging products with additive fragmentable technology that do not meet relevant compostable standards will be phased out.
Recent research has found that degradable plastics made from fossil fuels will simply fragment into micro-plastics and may release toxic substances in the environment.
Other biodegradable plastics, which may be made from plant-based material, still need special conditions to compost. Otherwise, they can still act like traditional plastics and not break down, potentially damaging our wildlife1.
What can you do?To avoid any confusion, and to better protect our beaches and bushland, it’s best to swap to reusables where possible.
Take your own container when buying takeawayPack a reusable cutlery pouch if you plan to have a picnicTake our pledge and be a champion for our environmentSign your business up to our Swap for Good program.Reference
1. Schiavo S, Oliviero M, Chiavarini S, Manxo S (2020) Adverse effects of oxo-degradable plastic leachates in freshwater environment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27: 8586-8595.