Reducing plastic
Did you know Australians use 3.9 billion lightweight plastic shopping bags every year? Our use of single-use plastic is hurting our environment and wildlife.
Plastic is bad because:
- it does not decompose but breaks into smaller pieces eventually becoming microscopic and remaining in the environment indefinitely.
- the CSIRO national coastal debris survey found that approximately three quarters of the rubbish along the Australian coast is plastic.
- marine life can ingest plastics bags with fatal consequences. Nearly half of all seabirds around the world are likely to ingest plastic debris.
- plastics bags are made from non-renewable products (oil). Survey results from the latest Victorian Litter Action Alliance finds that plastic bags and plastics bottles are in the top five most littered items across Victoria. This litter can block drains and pollute our local waterways.
We have committed to reducing waste and going single-use plastic free at all events, and you can too.
What you can do
If you are holding an event big or small, think carefully about how you can avoid creating waste:
To reduce plastic at home:
- remember to bring reusable bags when you go grocery shopping
- opt for refillable containers, bulk store products or make your own alternatives
- say no to plastic cutlery
- challenge yourself to remove one piece of plastic each month (and then continue it forever!)
- avoid as much plastic packaging as you can when grocery shopping by using produce bags to package loose products. If it’s over packaged, leave it on the shelf!
- avoid products with microbeads, visit the Beat the Microbead website for more information
- shop at the deli counter, butcher or fishmonger for paper wrapped cuts or BYO container
- Visit the Responsible Café website for a list of Moonee Valley cafe's offering a discount for customers with reusable cups.
To find out more visit the Plastic Free July website!