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Helping businesses reduce single use plastic
Plastic Free Places I sat down with Helen Reilly, the Project Coordinator for Plastic Free Cairns and Douglas, to discuss the Boomerang Alliance’s national program — Place Free Places. Boomerang Alliance is a national not-for-profit organisation that aims towards a zero waste society. One of their many projects is Plastic Free Places, a program that assists businesses in making the switch from disposables to more substantiable, plastic free solutions. “It’s a place based approach — we work with all food and beverage businesses, local packaging suppliers, industry, local government and local community groups,” explained Helen. The Plastic Free Cairns program aims to reduce plastics that are part of Queensland’s Single Use Plastic (SUP) ban, however they also go beyond the ban and focus on all types of takeaway containers and single use plastic water bottles. “(The single use plastic) items that have been banned from September are: plastic straws, plastic cutlery, plastic plates and bowls and polystyrene foam cups and containers,” said Reilly. There are several other items proposed for the second phase of Queensland’s SUP ban which will take place in 2022 these include; plastic coffee cups and lids, plastic cups and lids, heavy weight plastic boutique shopping bags. Helen says the Plastic Free program focuses on six main single-use plastics items, as these are “the most littered plastic takeaway plastics.” What’s on the Top 6 list? Straws Foodware (cutlery, plates/bowls, cold cups/lids, individual sauce/ice cream containers) Coffee cups and lids Takeaway bags Takeaway containers Water bottles The Plastic Free program works on a reward system. When local businesses, remove one of the top six items on the Plastic Free Places list, they become a member, if they commit to removing all six of the single-use plastics items on the list they become champions of the program. Helen says that although removing six single use items from your establishment may sound easy, becoming a program champion is not a simple process. “It requires a lot of inititative, a champion has to follow our waste hierarchy which is: avoid first, . . . provide accept and encourage reusables, and switch. We want to see (businesses switch to) home compostable (versus single use plastics),” says Helen. As a former mobile coffee cart and cafe owner, Helen understands that it can be challenging for cafes, delis and takeaway outlets to remove some single use items. Products such as bottled water are often a source of revenue for many of these business, but she believes, there are always other alternatives. “Businesses can choose not to sell bottled water, and make a statement about not selling it. Or they can provide a water refill station to encourage customers to use reusable water bottles. Restaurants for example can offer free table water or they can sell single use alternatives like, aluminum or glass with no plastic lids, neck rings or labels,” explains Helen. As a former mobile coffee cart and cafe owner, Helen understands that it can be challenging for cafes, delis and takeaway outlets to remove some single use items. Products such as bottled water are often a source of revenue for many of these business, but she believes, there are always other alternatives. “Businesses can choose not to sell bottled water, and make a statement about not selling it. Or they can provide a water refill station to encourage customers to use reusable water bottles. Restaurants for example can offer free table water or they can sell single use alternatives like, aluminum or glass with no plastic lids, neck rings or labels,” explains Helen. How many local businesses have made the champion status? Of the 150 members that are members of the Plastic Free Cairns program, 30 of them have made it to champion status. “We currently have a small number of champions, but a lot of them are aspiring to it . . . they have to get rid of a few (of the) items they have left,” says Helen. Helen believes that in order for businesses to be motivated enough to become champions, they need to work towards a reusable culture and not a single use culture. Blackbird Espresso was one of the first businesses in Cairns to become plastic free champions within the program. Sarah Sims is the operations manager for Coffee NQ — Blackbird Warehouse a wholesale speciality coffee and training facility and Blackbird Laneway coffee shop. She says they joined the program as on a whole their team is environmentally minded. “We are always looking for ways to lessen our carbon footprint. The previous owners, Troy and Daniela, always wanted to be a sustainable business, and since the change in ownership, we too wanted to continually improve and actively encourage our wholesale customers to do the same,” says Sims. Sims is very proud to be an existing champion and says they plan on implementing more changes in the future to continue to reduce their plastic usage. “We are hoping to switch to even more environmentally friendly products and encourage even more people to use GreenCaffeen or BYO reusable cups,” said Sims. Since implementing the first round of changes Sims says they have noticed a change in customer behaviour towards plastic usage. However they haven’t just implemented changes to their packaging, they also educate customers on why they have chosen to reduce plastic consumption. Although Plastic Free Cairns is open to all local businesses that fall within the local governance area Reilly says she is currently targeting a few areas. “Fitzroy Island and Green Island, they need to be leaders as well. I’m encouraging them to have (the island full of) reusable systems for their coffee and takeaway food, (as well as) reusable water bottles,” says Helen. How are the Plastic Free Places programs funded? Plastic Free Places are three year programs that rely on government funding. The Queensland Government, along with the support of the Cairns City Council has committed to funding the Plastic Free Cairns program. The program is currently in its second year. “I work for (Boomerang Alliance) a non-profit. The Queensland government fund us to do our program . . . we (also) need the local government to support it, because they (manage) waste, they need to be involved,” explains Helen. How successful have other Plastic Free programs been? Noosa was the pilot project “now in Noosa they all snub plastic water bottles, they have plastic free events . . . and they have branded aluminium single use bottles with fancy surfboard pictures,” Helen says if it’s possible in somewhere like Noosa there's no reason why it can’t be done here. Although she believes it's always preferable to choose reusable over single use plastic items. Although the Noosa program is now complete, it was taken over by Tourism Noosa and has since expanded the program to over 600 businesses including the cities hotels. Sims says Helen was a wonderfully patient and supportive mentor when their business joined the program. “Her passion for trying to help businesses become more sustainable is inspiring, and she is a great sounding board for various ideas, events and promotions, to help people empower themselves with the correct knowledge and solutions. The world is awash with green washing, so it’s great to have someone who is putting in the effort to research products thoroughly, ensuring we are in fact making a difference,” say Sims. When asked about the future of the program and the future of Cairns becoming a Plastic Free destination Helen believes this is a goal the community should be striving for. “(We’ve been) using the reef and rainforest for so long (for tourism) . . . we rely on it, and we need to protect it and preserve it. It would be great for us to become a green tourism destination.” said Helen. To see if your local area is connected to the Boomerang Alliance program visit: https://www.plasticfreeplaces.org.
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Plastic pollution, climate change and the silicone solution
If you care about climate change you should care about plastic pollution as well. Many people make the connection with plastic being bad for the environment, as they see first hand the detrimental impacts from the end of use products littering the planet. However, plastic pollution also comes from making or burning the product, as well as the fossil fuels used in production. There’s no doubt that other than its negative impact on the planet, plastic has simply become the norm. Hence the reluctance from the general population to stop using the material. And for those that do want to make a difference, many end up making the switch to what is considered by some, a more eco-friendly alternative — silicone rubber. Is silicone rubber really eco-friendly? It’s often touted that silicone is “just sand”. The main ingredient used to produce silicone is silica, which is derived from sand. But silicone rubber is made using more than just sand. If you want a product that is “just sand” cast your eyes on a glass jar. That is what “just sand” looks like once it’s been melted into a liquid, molded and cooled. Glass can be melted down and used again, and again and again. It can be crushed into small fragments which will essentially reduce back to dust or sand. Although it can be harmful when inhaled, it is non-toxic and is considered inert. Silicone rubber on the other hand, is a flexible product. It is not biodegradable, has very limited options for recycling and it is not made from “just sand”. Why should you care what silicone is made from, and how does it relate to plastic pollution or climate change? The one thing that’s never mentioned when it comes to silicone rubber is that it’s actually made from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and silicon. Yes, that’s right, silicone rubber is made from sand and coke otherwise known as . . . coal. If you care about climate change, and stopping fossil fuel usage, you really need to ask yourself — “is replacing one plastic product, with a silicone rubber product really the best solution?” Like glass, silicone rubber is also inert, however the recyclability of silicone vs. glass is not the same. Unlike glass that can be ground down and turned back into sand, silicone rubber cannot simply return back into its original elements. Silicone can be likened to a boiled egg. Once an egg has been boiled, you cannot simply turn it back into yolk and an albumen (egg white). Once silicone has been molded, it cannot simply be turned back into carbon and sand. Silicone is simply another form of plastic, and unlike biodegradable, or compostable plastic, it doesn’t just break down and go back to nature. Plastic: (of a substance or material) easily shaped or moulded. There is a statement that is mentioned on several eco-stores: “if silicone somehow ends up in landfill for incineration, it’s converted back into inorganic, harmless ingredients: amorphous silica, carbon dioxide and water vapour.” I’ve also seen silicone described as “sustainable” and durable. It turns out this statement regarding incineration is one that is commonly used on zero waste stores across the globe — the irony is, describing silicone in this way — is not actually a good thing. Let’s take a closer look. Firstly, items don't just randomly end up in landfill there are a lot of steps involved before items are sent to landfill and it starts with placing it in a garbage bin. Secondly, if something ends up in landfill — it’s not headed for incineration, it’s simply going to landfill to be buried, where we can pretend the problem doesn't exist. And like most things, silicone will not biodegrade in landfill. By replaced they mean — you can purchase more, and the cycle continues, just like plastic. If the latter statement is also correct, in that it turns into an inorganic compound, this also means that it’s headed for landfill as inorganic compounds do not biodegrade or compost. Also, if you follow the zero-waste movement, then you would know that zero waste is anti-incineration. “Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them.” – Zero Waste Australia. Let’s assume it’s true that when silicone rubber is incinerated, that among other things it turns into carbon dioxide. This is not a benefit to the environment. When fossil fuels are incinerated, they release carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are one of the leading drivers of climate change. In regards to the other description that states silicone is durable and made using “sustainable” materials. It’s true in that it’s a durable material, and like plastic — perhaps a little too durable. In regards to it being made from sustainable materials —the added non-renewable carbon cancels that out. If incineration is not the best method of disposal for silicone products, then the alternative is recycling. How and where is silicone recycled? While silicone can be sent off for recycling, the question is . . .where? With no clear silicone recycling options in Australia or Canada, we’re left with a handful of options in the United States. By relying on the USA’s limited facilities to recycle these products, we are once again relying on fossil fuels in order to send the products to off to get recycled — and hoping they actually get recycled when they arrive. If you’re okay with shipping your products off to another country in the hopes that they will be turned into something else useful, then let’s look at what actually happens to your end-of-life silicone products when they are recycled. Once cured, silicone cannot be simply re-melted, instead hardened leftovers and moulds which are no longer needed can be granulated and added as a filler to newly-mixed silicone. Alternatively recycled silicone rubber can be downcycled into silicone oil. However, unlike plastic, paper, or glass recycling that is straightforward, downcycling silicone rubber is relatively complicated. To create silicone oil the silicone rubber is firstly ground into small pieces, heated with high temperatures, filtrated and chemically processed into a liquid. It is then polymerized into silicone oil which is used as the building block for manufacturing a variety of silicone related products — and the cycle continues. So just like most plastics, in order to recycle silicone back into more products made of silicone, it requires virgin silicone. And the cycle continues. Is silicone a better replacement than plastic? There is no denying that silicone rubber is an incredibly useful product, and so is plastic. And therein lies the problem. However, when we are simply replacing one non-renewable plastic product for another are we really solving an environmental problem or are we simply shifting to another non-renewable solution? Unfortunately, the answer, or the solution to the plastic pollution problem is never a simple one. Our best option is, where possible, is to choose to refuse these products and seek out alternative products that will eventually return back to nature. Alternative options exist for so many regular use activities. We can switch to glass products that have the ability to be recycled over and over. We can choose to use compostable bags that are not made from fossil fuels and will return to nature. It’s your choice — at Eorth we prefer to choose Earth. References: https://zerowasteaustralia.org https://expandusceramicsquestions.com/qa/what-happens-when-you-heat-silicone.html https://www.ecousarecycling.com/silicone-rubber-recycling-process/
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Zero Waste Week
Preserving Resources and Saving Money Are you familiar with zero waste week? Perhaps you’ve heard of zero waste and thought “that’s ridiculous it’s not possible to create no waste”. You’d be correct with those thoughts, however as we’ve highlighted in previous articles on zero waste, the zero is not a number — it’s a goal. The Goal: reuse and recovery of products, thereby eliminating waste ending up in landfill, water or air. Founded in the United Kingdom in 2008 by Rachelle Strauss, an award-winning sustainability consultant, Zero Waste Week has grown an international following of over 56 million participants worldwide. This year zero waste week will take place from September 6 to 10, 2021. The campaign aims to help households, businesses, schools and community groups increase recycling and reduce landfill waste. Zero Waste Week recognises the need for composting organic food waste rather than placing food in landfill where it produces methane, a global warming greenhouse gas. The campaign also tackles the problem of disposal products, such as plastic packaging that continues to add environmental pollution in both volume and toxicity. Where does one start to make changes to their household routine in order to reduce waste? The best way is to follow the 5 R’s of Zero Waste: 1. Refuse: The first step towards reducing waste is to simply refuse. Where possible refuse to purchase items that are packaged in plastic. Question if you really need that product or not. Is there a plastic free alternative? Is there a reusable alternative? Do you really need that bottle of water, or that smoothie that comes in a disposable plastic cup, or is there a better more eco-friendly, less wasteful option available? 2. Reduce: By simply refusing to purchase a product packaged in plastic you are already making a reduction in your consumption. The second tier in the hierarchy is also aimed at minimising the quantity of items you purchase, their toxicity and ecological footprint. 3. Reuse: Our forefathers were leaders in this type of lifestyle — reusing what they have before purchasing something new. It’s definitively a habit more of us need to peruse. 4. Recycle: Although the Zero Waste Hierarchy places recycling in the fourth position, we would encourage you to move it to the end of the waste hierarchy. Why? Because recycling is not the solution the plastic pollution problem. Over the past 40 years of constant recycling campaigns, we continue to have issues surrounding plastic pollution. Clearly the message that recycling is the answer to our waste management problems has not worked. We really need to strongly highlight Refusal and also Rot — purchasing less products that are packaged and plastic and more items that are compostable, along with the implementation of composting in both household and business settings. 5. Rot: When we talk about rot it’s not in reference to items rotting in landfill, but rather it’s a reference to composting. There are many different ways one can implement composting in their homes. Whether you have a small space or a large space, whether you're wanting to use your composted materials for gardening or not, there are a variety of solutions that can fit your lifestyle. We have discussed several of these different methods in our article 5 Ways to Compost. Although Zero Waste Week takes place between September 6 to 10, it doesn’t mean that one should reduce their waste only during this period. Like the month dedicated to Plastic Free July, Zero Waste Week is simply an awareness campaign, designed to challenge the way you view waste. It’s said it can take just 18 to 21 days to form new habits, we encourage to you take a look at what changes you can make today to start forming new zero waste habits. To learn more about Zero Waste Week visit our pervious blog post: Zero Waste — it’s not measured in numbers.
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Green Steel: Discarded tyres fuelling steel operations
Plastic Pollution: Plastic Solutions is a series of articles where we highlight Australian people and businesses that are tackling plastic pollution head on. We hope you enjoy the first of this series that highlights Veena Sahajwalla, a native of India who now calls Australia home. PLASTIC POLLUTION: DISCARDED TYRES When we think of tyres, we think rubber — not plastic. In reality the make-up of tyres consists of less than 50 per cent rubber. Nineteen per cent of the rubber is derived from natural materials, and the remaining 24 per cent is made from synthetic rubber — a plastic polymer. The other 57 per cent of the tyres material is made-up of a combination of metal and other compounds.[1] While tyres themselves present environmental issues with wear and tear contributing to microplastics flowing into the environment, it’s the end of life of a tyre that’s the largest environmental polluter. In Australia alone, over 20 million tyres a year are destined for landfill, with a small amount being recycled into other uses. The shocking fact is, only five percent of those tyres are recycled in Australia. The other 95 percent are either kept in stockpiles, dumped illegally or exported.[2] Stockpiling tyres presents a problem, tyres are highly combustible, and hard to extinguish if they do catch on fire. Tyres also produce harmful chemical toxins and pollutants when burned. If burning tyres is not a suitable option for end of life, what is being done with the mounting pile of tyres? Rubber tyres are often ground into small pieces, referred to as “crumbed rubber”. This crumb is used for playground and sports surfaces, roads and building insulation. Sounds like a great idea? But how environmentally friendly is this solution? Greenspinning, a Facebook page dedicated to “Calling out the great green spin by the corporate polluters” highlights how using rubber crumbs to create fake turf and rubber play surfaces is a product that is unfit for purpose. If our current solutions are not working and are also bound to cause further environmental damage, surely there's a better way of discarding used tyres? PLASTIC SOLUTION: GREEN STEEL Award winning scientist, Veena Sahajwalla has done exactly that. Originating from Mumbai, India, Sahajwalla graduated top of her class as the only female engineering student at the University of British Columbia, Canada. In 2008 Sahajwalla was appointed Founding Director of the SMaRT Centre at University of NSW (UNSW). SMaRT (the Centre of Sustainable Materials Research and Technology), was established to advance the sustainability of materials and processing manufacturing. One Steel (now known as Arrium Mining and Materials) was an industry partner with SMaRT. Prior to founding SMaRT, Sahajwalla had already won awards for her idea of using carbon and hydrogen from waste plastics to make steel. It was just a matter of time before she would incorporate this technology in to practice. Sahajwalla realised that waste tyres were not only in abundance, they also provided the hydrogen and carbon required to produce steel, which replaces the need to use as much coal or coke. The goal of the innovation called “Polymer Injection Technology” is to eventually remove the need for coal and coke in the steel making process. To date over two million tyres in Australia have been diverted from landfill and processed into feedstock to manufacture what is known as “green steel”. What about the emissions from burning these materials? Green steel produces 80 per cent less carbon emissions than traditional steel making.[3] Sahajwalla's passion for reducing waste along with her technical expertise was the driver behind this innovative, environmentally friendly solution to combating the growing problem of plastic pollution. You can learn more about Sahajwalla's Green Steel technology via the video link below: References: [1] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/tires-unseen-plastic-polluter [2] https://www.canstarblue.com.au/vehicles/guide-recycling-used-car-tyres/ [3] https://www.smart.unsw.edu.au/news-events/news/daily-mail-feature-story-green-steel
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More States sign up to Single Use Plastics Bans
NSW & WA join the plastic free movement A few months ago we ranked Australian states on their commitment towards banning Single Use Plastic (SUP). At this time there were several states that were clear leaders in the group (South Australia) and others that didn't seem to have any real plan for forging ahead with bans. Yes we were pointing fingers at you New South Wales! In this blog post we revisit each Australian state and territory existing and proposed Single Use Plastic (SUP) bans, and highlight areas that are still needed for change. Although governments in general are slow to implement change, it appears that a lot of can happen in a few months. Some states that were lagging behind have now brought forward their dates for implementing bans. And while the changes being implemented or proposed are very welcome news, it was surprising to learn that some plastic items were still being allowed today — and are not being implemented for another 12 months. Once such product is mico-plastic beads used for cosmetic purposes. These types of products have long been flagged as being a problem and have already been banned in many countries so it's surprising to learn that Australia is still yet to implement such bans. The other interesting take-away from the bans is that cotton buds have been highlighted as an item that either is already or will be banned in the future. South Australia Ban began March, 2021 - No new changes. South Australia was the first state or territory in Australia to ban single-use plastic product, implementing their ban on March, 2021. This ban includes the sale, supply or distribution of single use plastic straws, drink stirrers and cutlery. Phase 2 of their phasing out of single use plastic plan begins March 1, 2022. Polystyrene cups, bowls, plates and clamshell containers will also be prohibited. And again importantly oxo-degradable* plastics will not only be prohibited from sale, manufacturing of oxo-degradable products will also be banned. South Australia’s legislation prohibits the sale, supply and distribution of both fossil fuel derived plastic and plant-based plastics, this means both industrial and home compostable plastics are also banned. Alternatives such as wood and paper products are allowed. Why is South Australia the only state that has taken this hard approach to banning both fossil fuel and plant based plastics? Compostable plastics are a great alternative to fossil fuel based plastics — however they must be composted and not just added to landfill. As Australia has very few industrial composting facilities available, and most industrial composting facilities do not accept compostable plastics, these plastics remain a problem. Hopefully South Australia and other states and territory's will work towards introducing more composting education and facilities in the future. * Oxo-degradable plastic products have additives which enable the plastic to break down into tiny fragments (‘microplastics’) which do not completely decompose. Australian Capital Territory Ban began July, 2021 - No new changes. Phase 1 of ACT's SUP ban began on July 1, 2021. This ban includes single use plastic cutlery, drink stirrers and expanded polystyrene food and drink containers. There are some exemptions to these bans when being used in a domestic setting. For example you are allowed to take and use your own single use plastic items when out with the family, however they are no longer available for sale in the ACT. Also included in the ban are bio-plastic items as they contaminate the recycling stream and will eventually end up in landfill. Phase 2 is set to begin in July 2022 where straws, barrier bags for fruit and vegetables, as well as all products made from oxo-degradable plastic will be included in the ban. Although it's great to see Phase 1 changes already being implemented it does seem rather odd that straws and fruit barrier bags were not part of Phase 1. Phase 3 of the SUP bans will not begin until 2023, and will include items such as plastic-lined single-use coffee cups and lids, single-use plastic dinnerware, boutique or heavyweight plastic bags, and cotton ear buds with plastic sticks will be considered for phase out (let's hope this passes through legislation). Queensland Ban begins September, 2021 - No new changes. Queensland’s ban on single use plastic items will commence on 1 September, 2021. The ban prohibits the supply of plastic straws, cutlery, bowls and plates, stirrers and expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups: straws: regular straws, flexible straws, straws with a scoop, cocktail straws and bubble tea straws cutlery: knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons, sample tasting spoons, soup spoons, chopsticks and sporks bowls and plates stirrers: hot or cold drink stirrers, swizzle sticks and hot or cold food stirrers expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups, for example ‘clamshell’ style containers. Although compostable plastics are not banned completely they must meet one of the following Australian Standards: AS 5810-2010 (Home Compostable) or AS 4736-2006 (Industrial Composting) Although noted on the “potentially next to ban stage” oxo-degradable products are still permitted for sale in Queensland. Western Australia No set date. Ban currently scheduled for late 2021. No changes to the items to be phased out, however the dates for implementation have been pushed forward. Originally listed as number 5 on our list WA's Plastics Ban was not slated to be implemented until 2013, fortunately WA have pushed forward with their SUP plans and Phase 1 (referred to as Short-term actions) is set to commence at the end of 2021. Single-use plastic or disposable items to be banned by the end of 2021 will include the phase-out of: plastic plates, cutlery, stirrers, straws & cups thick plastic bags polystyrene food containers and helium balloon releases. Phase 2 (referred to as Medium-term actions) will see amendments to the existing regulations, include education campaigns and will mean a statewide phase-out of the following items by late 2022: Microbeads Coffee cups/lids Polystyrene cups Cotton buds with plastic shafts Barrier/produce bags Polystrene packaging Oxo-degradable plastics New South Wales No confirmed date. Phase out dates measured in months. No changes to the items to be phased out, however the dates for implementation have been pushed forward. Initially ranked dead last on our list, we're happy to see that along with WA, NSW has pushed forward their timeline for implementing single use plastic bans. As the most populated state in Australia, it's great to see these changes taking place. The initial plan from NSW was to "phase out nominated single-use plastics by 2022". While it does appear that they are moving forward with this same plan, not all the changes are set to be implemented in the next 6 months. The proposed timeline for phasing out single use plastic: 6 months: Phase out lightweight shopping bags 12 months: Phase out; plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, expanded polystyrene food service items, cotton buds with plastic sticks and microbeads in rinse-off personal care products. Review in 3 years: Plastic bowls, lids and plates, Plastic cups and lids, oxo-degradable plastics, fruit stickers (non-compostable), heavyweight shopping bags, barrier produce bags. While all of these are welcome changes, it would be great to see these phase out dates pushed even further forward. Victoria Ban begins February, 2023 - No new changes. Although Victoria was the 5th state to announce a future ban, originally number 4 on our list, they've now dropped down below NSW and WA. Victoria’s proposed ban on the sale or supply of the following items is to be introduced by February 2023 and includes; Single-use plastic straws, cutlery, plates & drink-stirrers Expanded polystyrene food and drink containers Plastic cotton bud sticks. Oxo-degradable plastics. There is no mention in the ban in regards to compostable plastics. Tasmania & Northern Territory No State-wide bans announced. The City of Hobart introduced a by-law on July 1, 2021 banning Single Use Plastics at take-away food retailers. The single-use plastic items banned are: plastic cutlery sauce sachets (such as tomato, soy or tartare) plastic takeaway hot food containers and lids takeaway plastic straws plastic lined noodle boxes plastic lined coffee cups plastic lids on takeaway cups plastic sandwich wedges. Certified compostable bioplastics (cold drink cups, bowls, cutlery, lids, sandwich wedges, noodle boxes, coffee cups, hot chip boxes) are allowed under the current city by-law. Much like Hobart the City of Darwin went out on its own and made changes to the types of disposable items that can be used at events. Unlike Hobart this is not a city-wide ban, as the ban only applies to council land and at markets. Darwin’s ban came into effect in January, 2019 and also includes the deliberate release of helium balloons — a ban that should be implemented across the country. The Single Use Plastic ban includes: disposable coffee & smoothie cups plastic lids, straws, stirrers & cutlery stirrers, plates, bowls, and takeaway containers
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World Environment Day
Reimagine ~ Recreate ~ Restore World Environment Day (June 5) offers a platform to inspire positive change and pushes individuals to think about the way they consume. It pushes businesses to develop greener models and for farmers and manufacturers to produce more sustainably. It urges the government to invest in repairing the environment and lastly it calls on educators to inspire students to take action. Each year World Environment Day has a theme and a host country. In 2018 India hosted the 45th celebration of World Environment Day using the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution”. This celebration saw 6,000 people gather at Versova Beach in Mumbai to participate in a beach clean-up. The group collected over 90,000 kg of plastic during the clean-up. Further to this the Indian government made a commitment to ban all single use plastics by 2022 along with European Lawmakers agreeing on a ban by 2025. (We’ll have to check in on India to see how they’re doing with their commitment next year!). This year the host country is Pakistan with the theme of “Ecosystem Restoration”, which calls for urgent action to revive our damaged ecosystems. Ecosystems are defined as the interaction between living organisms: plants, animals, and people: with their surroundings. While these surroundings include nature, they also include human-man systems such as cities or farms. Pakistan is endowed with a wide array of ecosystems, and the country is blessed with amazing biodiversity. Scientists have recorded 174 species of reptiles, including the endangered green turtle, and 188 species of mammals, among them the Indus dolphin, the snow leopard and Pakistan’s national animal, the Markhor. The seas off Pakistan are also home to blue whales, the largest creatures on Earth. In one of the world’s most ambitious afforestation efforts, Pakistan plans to expand and restore forests across the country through a drive it calls the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami. The campaign includes restoring mangroves and other forests, as well as planting trees in urban settings, including schools, colleges, public parks and green belts.[1] The keywords reinforcing the theme of the campaign are:Reimagine, Recreate, Restore. How can you participate in this global event? Some World Environment Day Activities may include: Plant flowers and vegetables that attract native bees. Participate in a beach clean-up. Start your own home compost. The best way to regenerate and restore soil is to compost. Create your own neighbourhood clean-up. This can simply mean taking a walk around your neighbourhood and collecting the plastics left scattered in the area. Plastics are an issue everywhere, even in the cleanest neighbourhoods. It’s unlikely it will take you long to find a bag full of plastic trash. Removing this trash will mean one less piece of plastic will find its way to the ocean, to a nearby waterway or as feed for an unsuspecting animal. Plant a tree in your backyard or join a tree planting day. At EORTH 1% of our profits are donated to an Australian regeneration initiative that benefits our backyard. Rainforest Rescue is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that’s been restoring rainforests in Australia and most importantly, Far North Queensland’s Daintree Rainforest since 1999. Rainforest Rescue’s approach is to purchase properties that are high conservation value rainforest and protecting their biodiversity. Their projects re-establish rainforests through planting, maintenance and restoration programs, as well as purchasing and protecting high conservation value rainforest and preserving its biodiversity. You can help Rainforest Rescue with their mission to regenerate and renew rainforests by donating on their website: https://www.rainforestrescue.org.au. All donations are tax-deductible. And as we always say at EORTH every day is Eorth (Earth) day. World Environment Day is focussed on raising awareness surrounding environmental issues, but that doesn’t mean you can’t participate in those activities any day of the year. We cannot turn back time. But we can grow trees, green our cities, rewild our gardens, and clean up rivers and coasts. We are the generation that can make peace with nature. This World Environment Day, join #GenerationRestoration to revive and protect our ecosystems. ----- References [1] https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/about/pakistan
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Seaspiracy: Does it help or hinder
The fight against plastic pollution? When I initially saw the trailer for Seaspiracy it piqued my interest. It highlighted all the important environmental issues surrounding our oceans; interviews with well-known environmentalists; Paul Watson, Sylvia Earle and snippets from Rick O’Barry’s documentary The Cove along with scenes of plastic washing up onto our shores. Overfishing, saving our coral reefs, and cetacean captivity are all issues that are close to my heart, but closer yet is combating the use of single use plastic. The trailer for Seaspiracy definitely got my attention. Seaspiracy and Plastic Pollution After the initial documentary intro, Seaspiracy begins with scenes of whales cruising majestically through the ocean, while videographer Ali Tabrizi watches from the shore. It talks about this love of the ocean and his desire to learn about the beauty beneath the sea. It doesn’t take long before the documentary switches from beautiful ocean scenes to images of whales washing up on the shore. “Pregnant whale died with 50 pounds of plastic in her stomach.” “Baby dolphin found dead with stomach full of plastic trash.” Over and over again the screen is filled with headlines from news outlets depicting stories of whales and dolphins, filled with plastic, washing ashore. “The equivalent of a garbage truck load of plastic is dumped in the sea every single minute. Joining the over 150 million tonnes already floating there.” - Ali Tabrizi, Seaspiracy While the world is well aware of plastic pollution, the message about reducing single use plastic is still not making much of an impact. We continue to choose our convenience of plastic over the knowledge that using plastic at an alarming rate is causing harm to both the oceans and our land. With images depicting take away containers and plastic drink bottles being thrown into the garbage, Tabrizi comes to the realisation that he was a massive part of the problem. In order to do his part to curb plastic pollution he “became the plastic police.” His mission was simple, and involved steps we all can, and should, implement on a day-to-day basis: Carry a reusuable water bottle Stop using plastic toothbrushes and straws Take your own bags to the store Carry a reusable coffee cup Pick up single use plastic when you see it It was a soft intro into the harm that single use plastic is causing. Seaspiracy then takes a swift turn. Ali along with wife Lucy pack their bags and head to Japan to find out how big of a threat Japan’s whaling practices were compared to plastic. Plastic and Dolphin Drive Hunts We are now catapulted into Rick O’Barry’s domain, exposing the horrors of the Taiji dolphin hunts. For those unaware, the dolphin drive hunts are a means of capturing dolphins, placing them into tiny enclosures, training them and selling them globally to marine parks as a means of entertainment. It’s argued that dolphins used in many marine parks today don’t come from these dolphin hunts, but rather from breeding of dolphins that are already in captivity. However, it’s undeniable that dolphins in marine parks came from the ocean to start with. Captivity leads us back to single use plastic. Keeping these animals captive requires a ton of plastic: fish caught from the ocean — frozen and packaged in single use plastic as well as all the plastic required for medical treatments and breeding these animals. We get a short glimpse of a crowd at a marine park and it's safe to assume that at some stage the crowds were hungry and thirsty. What are the majority of the food and beverages consumed at these venues packaged in? Single use plastic. There’s always a plastic connection. While O’Barry's reference to dolphin drive hunts and saving the ocean may not have been directly related to ocean plastic, plastic pollution isn’t just the size of a football field. Plastic is used by every single person on this planet, both on land and on the sea. I’d wager a bet that even the North Sentinelese Tribes that have no contact with the outside world encounter plastic on a regular basis, with it being washed up on their shores. Overfishing and the Plastic Connection The documentary shifts its focus to overfishing blue fin tuna and shark finning. Apart from the appalling number of shark fin products being sold in the markets, the other glaring problem was all the single use plastic these products were packaged in. Rows and rows of dehydrated fins, packaged in single use plastic. Over 94% of which will make its way to either landfill or the ocean. Seabirds and the Plastic Connection The documentary now moves to professor Callum Roberts, a Marine Scientist, who notes that the abundance of seabirds has decreased by about 70 per cent over the past 70 years. Roberts goes on to explain that the birds lightly dip into the ocean to feed off small fish on the surface, and as there are less fish for them to feed from, the seabird numbers are seeing a decline. What’s the plastic connection that’s missing from this story? Often those pickings are not little fish at all — but instead, bits of plastic. This too, is killing birds that feed from the ocean. Labels, Sustainability and the Plastic Connection The documentary moves to product labels and specifically targets the Dolphin Safe label in regards to dolphin protection. The film argues that consumers have being purchasing products specifically due to this labelling, trusting that the logo meant no dolphins were harmed during the tuna fishing process. It’s emphasised that labels are purchased and there’s no guarantee that the products labelled “Dolphin Safe” means that no dolphins were killed while harvesting the tuna. “Follow the money” Tabrizi says. He then pulls up a website that states: “The Marine Stewardship Council was founded in 1995 by the World Wildlife Fund and Unilever.” However, the film only highlights Unilever as a problem. WWF’s logo flashed briefly on screen prior to talking about fish farms, there was no mention of their label support, and money making ventures. The WWF are also funded by labels for “sustainable” farmed salmon in Australia. And just like Unilever, to quote Tabrizi, “the more blue ticks they hand out — the more money (WWF) make.” What’s the plastic connection? Products marked with both “Dolphin Safe” and “Sustainable Seafood” labels are often packaged in single use plastic, of which very little will be recycled. The other missing plastic link: producing feed for these fish farms and keeping them medicated and coloured requires, yet again, more plastic. Plastic Fishing Nets “Even the groups that are talking about marine plastic are highly reluctant to talk about what a lot of that plastic is. Which is fishing nets and fishing gear.” - George Monbiot, Environmentalist Are they really reluctant to talk about fishing nets? Ocean Cleanup talks about fishing nets, Parley for the Ocean talks about fishing nets (ironically Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans was interviewed in the documentary — yet he is not questioned on the apparent reluctance to discuss fishing nets as a problem), Greenpeace talks about fishing nets. Monbiot states that 46 per cent of ocean plastic comes from fishing nets. Even if this statistic is correct, there’s still 54 per cent of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch coming from other plastic. However, I would agree with Monbiot when he asks: “Isn’t it terrible, all our cotton buds and plastic bags are swirling around in the great pacific garbage patch?” Yes it is! Plastic Straws Plastic straws may only account for 0.03% of plastics entering the ocean. However, if it wasn't for this viral video of one single plastic straw entering the nose of one turtle, we likely wouldn't have seen the outpouring of campaigns against plastic straws. Therefore, I would deem the video a success. Since watching the 8-minute clip many people got behind these campaigns and vowed to stop using not only plastic straws, but other single use takeaway items. In fact, without the awareness that plastic straws pollute our oceans, many people would not be watching the Seaspiracy documentary today. Gaining awareness about what may seem like a small issue (turtles dying due to plastic) and in turn reducing your use of certain single use plastic items, isn't a bad thing. In fact it’s a damn good place to start. Recreational Fisherman “I have a hard time accepting that a fisherman on his little fishing boat could be causing all this damage, so what’s the deal?”, Tabrizi asks Monbiot. Monbiot takes us off to another place, one that doesn’t address recreational fishing, suddenly we are propelled back to commercial fishing. Most recreational fisherman would agree there needs to be greater restrictions placed on large commercial fishing vessels. If the main agenda for this film is to get people to stop eating fish and adopt a vegan lifestyle, it’s very unlikely to happen. Which is possibly why the Plastic Pollution Coalition became defensive when asked why “stop eating fish” was not listed on their website. That isn’t the agenda of the Plastic Pollution Coalition — their agenda is for their message to reach the masses. The message: “To work towards a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact on humans, animals, waterways, the ocean, and the environment.” Plant Based Alternatives Seaspiracy ends with a segment on plant based alternatives. They sound and look delicious. There was only one problem — many of those options presented were, you guessed it, packaged in plastic. Yes, the packaging stated it was packaged in compostable plastic, but when it comes to vegan food that’s not always the case, and as I always say. “It won’t compost if you don't compost it.” — Catherine Earle While I admire Ali and his wife Lucy for having the courage and tenacity to dig deep into these topics, I feel it missed the mark on really telling the story about how the oceans work, why it’s important for us to protect them and shine a brighter light on the issues surrounding commercial fishing. If the film’s mission was to encourage more people to go vegan, it hit its mark. Almost every comment on social media regarding Seaspiracy is related to veganism — not about the issues surrounding plastic pollution or around commercial fishing and fishing nets. However, Seaspiracy didn’t provide a solution to the problem of overfishing, aside from adopting a vegan diet. A better solution? Ask people to make conscious decisions and question their food supply — including those that are already vegan. Where has your food originated from? What is your food packaged in? Is that packaging sustainable? Is it recyclable or compostable? If it’s recyclable, will it actually get recycled? If it’s compostable, are you going to compost it? These questions can, and should be applied to all our purchasing decisions. When we start making conscious choices, our options start shrinking and the reality of sustainability at the rate we are currently consuming, will be a wake-up call in itself. I believe Seaspiracy would have been more compelling if it stuck to the issues surrounding commercial fishing or actually followed the connection between fishing and plastic pollution, rather than a documentary of fishing versus plastic, and which one is a bigger problem. It was unnecessary to point fingers at organisations that also are working hard at trying to curb plastic pollution and in turn help save our oceans. Plastic pollution and overfishing are both important issues, one does not override the other. A final word from the inspirational Sylvia Earle: “Most of the positive and negative things that bring about change in human civilisation, start with someone. Some-one. No-one can do everything, but everyone can do something. And sometimes big ideas, make a big difference. That’s what we can do, that’s what you can do right now.”
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Australian states forge ahead with single use plastic bans
Just over a year ago there was a strong movement towards removing single use plastic from our everyday use. The topic was dominating in headlines, progress towards removing single use plastics was at an all-time high. Then, as we all know just over a year ago the focus shifted to an invisible killer. Not only did this new life threat take over the headlines, it also saw a rewind in the way we viewed and used plastic. All the hard work that had been done to say no to single use plastics, quickly reversed. While we may have taken a few steps back, the awareness and education had already hit mainstream. And, the governments that were setting their sights on banning single use plastics pre-covid were still forging ahead with their plans. Let’s take a look at where each Australian state is at with their commitment to reducing Single Use Plastic (SUP), which states still have some work and where each of them rank: 1. South Australia It should come as no surprise to most Australian’s that follow waste streams that South Australia is once again the leader of the pack. This is a state that has had a cash refund for bottles and cans for over 40 years, while the rest of the country is just catching on to the concept. At the beginning of this month (March, 2021) South Australia implemented their ban on single use plastics. This ban includes the sale, supply or distribution of single use plastic straws, drink stirrers and cutlery. Importantly South Australia’s legislation prohibits the sale, supply and distribution of both fossil fuel derived plastic and plant-based plastics, this means both industrial and home compostable plastics are also banned. Alternatives such as wood and paper products are allowed. Why is South Australia the only state that has taken this hard approach to banning both fossil fuel and plant based plastics? Compostable plastics are a great alternative to fossil fuel based plastics — however they must be composted and not just added to landfill. As Australia has very few industrial composting facilities available, and most industrial composting facilities do not accept compostable plastics, these plastics remain a problem. Hopefully South Australia and other states and territory's will work towards introducing more composting education and facilities in the future. Beginning next year (March 1, 2022) polystyrene cups, bowls, plates and clamshell containers will also be prohibited. And again importantly oxo-degradable* plastics will not only be prohibited from sale, manufacturing of oxo-degradable products will also be banned. * Oxo-degradable plastic products have additives which enable the plastic to break down into tiny fragments (‘microplastics’) which do not completely decompose. 2. Queensland While Queensland’s ban on plastic bags was a bit of a let down (it really wasn’t a ban but rather an introduction to how to take your own bags to the supermarket) the new single use plastic ban has a little bit more teeth. Queensland’s ban on single use plastic items will commence on 1 September, 2021. The ban prohibits the supply of plastic straws, cutlery, bowls and plates, stirrers and expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups: straws: regular straws, flexible straws, straws with a scoop, cocktail straws and bubble tea straws cutlery: knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons, sample tasting spoons, soup spoons, chopsticks and sporks bowls and plates stirrers: hot or cold drink stirrers, swizzle sticks and hot or cold food stirrers expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups, for example ‘clamshell’ style containers. While we give kudos to the Queensland government for stepping up to the plate, it would be great if they took a more proactive step and either banned compostable plastics altogether (like South Australia has), or including more education on composting and/or composting services within the state. Although noted on the “potentially next to ban stage” oxo-degradable products are still permitted for sale in Queensland. 3. Australian Capital Territory Coming in third on the list is the ACT. While the ACT were faster to act on banning plastic bags than Queensland were, they are still in the planning stages of introducing a SUP (Single Use Plastic) ban. What should we expect to see? ACT’s legislation is set to come into effect from July, 2021. The first stage of the ban will include cutlery, drink stirrers and expanded polystyrene food and drink containers. There’s really not a lot to see in this ban, however it appears they do plan on a second phase next year which will ban straws, barrier bags for fruit and vegetables, as well as all products made from oxo-degradable plastic. This will be a much welcome change. A third phase is set to get a little tougher but the current plan is not to implement these changes until 2023. Why wait? Why not include it in next years plan? There was unfortunately no mention about compostable plastics any phases of these proposed bans. 4. Victoria Although Victoria was the 5th state to announce a future ban, they’ve landed at number 4 on the list as their plans to implement change are faster moving than those of WA. Victoria’s proposed ban on the sale or supply of the following items is to be introduced by February 2023 and includes; Single-use plastic straws, cutlery, plates & drink-stirrers Expanded polystyrene food and drink containers Plastic cotton bud sticks. According to the Australian Marine Conversation Society the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has confirmed oxo-degradable plastics will also be included in the ban. There is no mention in the ban in regards to compostable plastics. 5. Western Australia Beautiful remote Western Australia — a state that we’d expect to have seen higher up the list. However WA’s SUP plan disappoints. According to the Western Australian government’s own website 98 per cent of the community support taking strong action to reduce Single Use Plastics. The Plastic Free July campaign was born in WA. Spearheaded by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz the Author of Plastic Free, the Plastic Free July campaign is one of the biggest plastic reduction campaigns in the world. They have a champion of change at their fingertips. Why the wait? WA’s “Plan for Plastics” appears to be well thought out, yet long and drawn out. Phase 1 — 2020-21: Engage with community and key stakeholders. Establish a plastic straws working group to inform future actions Develop targeted education programs Introducing Plastic Free Places trails with community partners Phase 2— 2021-23: According to the plan this is where we are today. Although they note several times in “The Plan” that was released in 2020, that “the community want strong action” the legislation to be developed is not slated for implementation until late 2023 this will include the phase-out of: plastic plates, cutlery, stirrers & straws thick plastic bags polystyrene food containers and helium balloon releases. Phase 3— 2024-26: The last phase which is not set to be legislated for well into the future is to phase out produce bags, polystyrene packaging, plastic stick cotton buds, microbeads and oxo-degradable plastics. Again there was no mention in this 12 page document regarding compostable plastics or education around composting. The WA Government has missed its mark on what the community meant when they gave the feedback that they'd like to see “strong action on the reduction of plastics”. 6. Tasmania & Northern Territory As neither state have announced any future plans to tackle Single Use Plastics they have been placed in an equal tie at 6th place. They have nudged out New South Wales due to the fact that both the City of Darwin and the City of Hobart have introduced their own laws regarding single use plastics. The City of Hobart introduced a by-law that is set to be enforceable by July 1, 2021 banning Single Use Plastics at take-away food retailers. The ban was originally scheduled to be implemented in 2020 however it was moved forward to 2021 due to COVID-19. The single-use plastic items banned are: plastic cutlery sauce sachets (such as tomato, soy or tartare) plastic takeaway hot food containers and lids takeaway plastic straws plastic lined noodle boxes plastic lined coffee cups plastic lids on takeaway cups plastic sandwich wedges. Certified compostable bioplastics (cold drink cups, bowls, cutlery, lids, sandwich wedges, noodle boxes, coffee cups, hot chip boxes) are allowed under the current city by-law. Much like Hobart the City of Darwin went out on its own and made changes to the types of disposable items that can be used at events. Unlike Hobart this is not a city-wide ban, as the ban only applies to council land and at markets. Darwin’s ban came into effect in January, 2019 and also includes the deliberate release of helium balloons — a ban that should be implemented across the country. The Single Use Plastic ban includes: disposable coffee & smoothie cups plastic lids, straws, stirrers & cutlery stirrers, plates, bowls, and takeaway containers 7. New South Wales It should really come as no surprise that New South Wales is at the bottom of the list. They were the last state to come on board with a plastic bag ban, so I wouldn’t expect them to be leaders in the pack when it came to banning Single Use Plastics. While predictable it’s still incredibly disappointing — New South Wales is the most populated state in Australia, they should really be the champions on change in this area. “Cleaning up Our Act” is a 20 year strategy that tackles managing plastic waste in the state of NSW. In this plan they state: NSW consumed approximately 1.1 million tonnes of plastic in 2017–18. Most of which was used for packaging and household items like furniture, clothing and footwear. Plastic makes up 45% of household recycling bin collections. Plastic recycling rates are typically low, with only an estimated 10% of the plastic consumed every year being recycled. More than half the littered items in NSW are plastic, and plastic makes up 34% of total littered items. From these points alone it’s clear that NSW have identified single use plastics as an issue, so why is it not at the top of their agenda for change? The paper also shows a progression chart noting a final NSW Plastics Plan would be ready by the end of 2020, yet no final Plastic Plan has been announced. The NSW Plastics Plan discussion paper proposes targeting a few items relating to plastics: phasing out nominated single-use plastics by 2022 tripling the proportion of plastic recycled in NSW across all sectors and streams by 2030 reducing plastic litter by 25% by 2025 mandating the use of 30% minimum recycled content in plastic packaging in NSW by 2025 While it’s great they have these goals, they are incredibly long term and there doesn’t appear to be any clear direction on what their Single Use Plastic ban entails, or if they have made progress on this at all. Our message to state governments across Australia and most notably to New South Wales: “pay attention to what South Australia are doing — they are certainly leaders when it comes to implementing bans on Single Use Plastics and waste reduction.”
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Plastic Collection Challenge - Results
Lessons Learnt Last month we suggested taking part in a Plastic Collection Challenge, collect all your household plastic for a one month duration. What's the point of storing a months worth of plastic? If your goal is to reduce plastic, why would you want to keep it? Wouldn't it be better if you sent it off to recycling every week? The answer is simple: keeping a collection of what you have used over a period of one month highlights just how much you actually use, it's no longer out of sight, out of mind. Creating feel good moments:Just because we put something in the recycling bin, doesn't guarantee it's going to get recycled. But it does make us feel as if we've done our part to reduce plastic waste. A few years back (when international travel was a thing) I collected all the plastic I was given on a return flight to Australia. It was an eye opening experience, and collecting household waste was no different. HOUSEHOLD PLASTIC COLLECTION: Household plastic collected during the month of August Creating this monthly plastic collection definitely highlighted the fact that we're a long way off fixing the plastic pollution problem. So what lessons did I learn by storing a months worth of plastic? In my initial post last month I detailed my first week of collecting plastic and it turns out this was the week that generated the most plastic. The majority of the plastic collected that week was from online clothing purchases. Lesson 1: Don't buy clothes online in August when you are doing a plastic collection. Just kidding . . . not all these clothes were for myself, I just kept the wrappers as they ended up in my home — for me to dispose of. Even if you buy online and your clothes don't come packaged in plastic — it's highly likely the plastic has simply been removed before putting it in your parcel. Reality is whether you purchased the clothing in-store or online you would be faced with the same problem. It would just be plastic you don't see. You can't always avoid plastic, especially if you don't know it's coming to you via post. Nor can you avoid it if you don't see it before it is removed from the item you are purchasing. If you truly want to buy clothing that's packaged plastic free you can: buy secondhand, if you have deep pockets — have your clothes tailored especially for you, don't have deep pockets — make your own, and if those options don't work then spend some time researching the company you're purchasing from to see what their stance is on plastic pollution. In summary . . . simply do your best! So aside from the online shopping purchases what else ended up in the plastic collection? One item that I've struggled to eliminate is the plastic bag that contains my beloved Bokashi mix. It's an essential item in my household, I'm an avid Boksahi composter. I've tried many other methods of composting and Bokashi is the easiest I've used to date. There are ways to avoid the plastic bag, one involves a spray bottle — I don't find the spray as effective, as well it's just another spray bottle going to landfill, and the plastic bag is more likely to get recycled than the bottle. I could make my own mix, but that's just crazy time-consuming and being plastic free involves a lot of making your own so adding another DIY to my list isn't going to work.In an ideal world Bokashi mix would be provided by local council as a “refill your container” type option, also at a reduced price. Why the council? Because they should be providing incentives for people to compost at home. It's a win-win situation for them. Less waste going to landfill, less cost for them. Just putting that idea out there to all local councils! Also in the collection was a bag of Salt and Vinegar Chips. I have no excuses and have yet to find chips that come in compostable bags .... but I know they are out there! Lesson 2: There are some bits of plastic that are out of your control . . . and some you can control, however it would mean drastically changing your lifestyle. Living life plastic free doesn't mean you need to take it literally. The goal is to always do the very best you can to reduce your plastic footprint. If we, (the human collective) gave some thought to our purchases, asking do I need this? Bokashi mix - yes, salt and vinegar chips - no. We'd make better decisions that would allow us to further reduce our reliance on plastic. The last item in the collection that was not plastic bags and is unlikely to get recycled is a used bottle of toilet cleaner. Yes its #2 plastic (the most commonly recycled plastic), however it's white plastic with an additional plastic wrap and a red lid on top (coloured plastic is less desirable). This aside, it's still plastic and we know recycling is not the answer. So why is it even in my house? I didn't, and wouldn't purchase this type of product. Our neighbours were relocating/downsizing and they were planning on throwing it in the garbage. It's better to use something that already exists than simply throw it away. It will be placed in the wishcycling pile (the pile of plastics that you are not sure if they recycle, but wished they did). Lesson 3: If you're collecting other people's plastic waste, whether that be on the side of the road, or by items left from neighbours — then pat yourself on the back. You aren't contributing to the problem. You're doing your best to make sure it doesn't end up in landfill or worse — the ocean. Collecting a month's worth of plastic was a very different experience than collecting the plastic from one international airline flight, however they were both enlightening. One I had very little control over as travelling for 24 hours makes your options for saying no to plastic very limited, the other is a continual work in progress. I'll be taking on the challenge again next year to see if I have better luck with avoiding single use plastic in my home — and encourage you to do the same!
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