Northern Beaches Council is launching a multifaceted campaign to wipe out single-use plastics on the Northern Beaches, lobbying for change, dramatically cutting use by Council, providing more support for local businesses and the community to change behaviours, plus a bumper line-up of Plastic Free July events.
Northern Beaches Council Administrator Dick Persson is lobbying State and Federal governments and major supermarkets to bring about sustainable change, such as banning plastic bags too.
“The biggest single-use offenders are disposable plastic bags, coffee cups, straws and bottles, and what happens once these items reach our landfills and waterways is simply appalling,” Mr Persson said.
“I’ll be calling on the major supermarkets and local businesses to join us in banning the bag from the Northern Beaches”
Council plans to implement two new policies that will change the way the organisation, employees, agents, lessees and contractors consume SUPs.
A Single Use Plastics Policy will drastically reduce the procurement of plastics and help the community to live without them. Anyone planning to hold an event on Council land will need to procure sustainable alternatives to plastics too as they will be banned under Council’s Event Management Policy.
Council’s 1,800 staff will make the switch to reusable cups for their morning coffees, as estimates show that 46 per cent of Council staff who drink coffee use almost 50,000 coffee cups each year that cannot be recycled.
“It’s important for Council to lead by example in tackling this issue at a grass-roots level to reduce the massive amount of plastic waste ending up in our waterways, oceans and bushland each year.
“I’m thrilled that an overwhelming 88 per cent of Council staff said they supported a ban on disposable coffee cups.
Residents can also take part in a number of events during the month, including workshops on how to make reusable shopping bags, keeping backyard chickens and worms and compost.
“We are encouraging the community to take the Plastic Free July pledge and swap plastic items such as disposable coffee cups and shopping bags for reusable alternatives,” he added.
FREE EVENTS
- Fri 30 Jun and Fri 21 Jul - Plastic Free July pop-up with theatre performers. The Beaches Market, Pittwater Park, North Narrabeen
- Thur 6 Jul - View artists on the beachfront creating chalk art and theatre performers. Manly Beach (at the end of the Corso)
- Fri 7 Jul - Make your own reusable shopping bag (parent / child sewing class)
- Tue 18 and Tue 25 Jul - Make your own bag with Avalon Boomerang Bags, Sew Craft Cook
- 22 Jul - Worms & Compost workshop
- 29 Jul - Keeping Backyard Chickens workshop
- 29 Jul - Avalon Car Boot Sale, Dunbar Park
- 29 Jul - Repair Café, Avalon Recreation Centre - to help residents to gain the skills to repair broken furniture and appliances
Bookings essential via the Events Calendar at whatson.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au