By Cr Simon Crawford
Despite our best efforts to sort, collect and recycle, unfortunately plastic is everywhere – from the deepest oceans to the summit of Mt Everest.
The urgency of this situation is now globally recognised thanks to the Plastic Free July campaign.
Plastic Free July, which started in 2011 in Western Australia, is now one of the most influential environmental campaigns in the world.
Millions of people world-wide take part every year, with many committing to reducing plastic pollution far beyond the month of July.
The theme of this year’s Plastic Free July challenge is ‘Turn the Tide, one choice at a time’ and celebrates the collective impact one simple action can make.
Simple actions such as getting a group together to clean up a park or a beach, avoiding pre-packaged foods by choosing bulk food, ditching disposable products or eliminating single-use plastic as council has committed.
Late last year, council endorsed its first ever Single-Use Plastic Policy detailing its commitment to the elimination of single-use plastics across all council facilities, activities and events.
Under the policy, with the exception of an emergency situation (including COVID), reusable materials must be used where possible over a range of single-use plastic items at council venues and events.
The Single-Use Plastic Policy is underpinned by a range of council plans, including the Towards Zero Waste Strategy 2019, which focuses on reducing waste, increasing recycling and avoiding unnecessary waste – such as single-use plastic.
Council’s Climate Emergency Strategy also supports the elimination of single-use plastic and the generation of increased carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions in the creation and disposal of single-use products.
It also considers the Victorian Government’s legislation on single-use plastic bags, and commitment to phase out specific single-use plastic items across the state by February 2023.
We all have a role to play in reducing the impact of single-use plastic waste on our environment.
You can be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics to protect our local neighbourhoods, waterways and oceans.
To find out how you can get involved, visit their website at plasticfreejuly.org.
