Plastic pollution is a huge problem here in Australia and it requires our attention! In 2019 alone, Australia generated 3 million tonnes of plastic waste. At F&F we are super passionate about helping people make better choices. We want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
We're delighted to see more Australian states and territories driving change with their commitment to ban single-use plastics. New South Wales and Western Australia in particular, have just recently announced they're phasing out certain single-use plastics.
Read on to find out exactly what plastics will be banned from NSW and WA, and uncover who is leading the race to ban single-use plastics in Australia.
The Problem With Plastics
Most of us were born into a world filled with plastic. It has become part of our everyday life, due to their convenience, inexpense and ease of disposal.
More often then not, people use single-use plastics outside of home, which increases the likelihood of littering.
Another issue surrounding single-use plastics is that they are not currently being recycled properly and as a result, end up in landfill. In 2019, only 11% of plastic waste in Australia was recycled. Plastic takes such a long time to break down, which poses a major threat to animals and reduces the amenity of our environment.
To paint you a picture, 8 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean globally each year and 75% of rubbish collected on WA beaches was plastic.
Ban on Single-Use Plastics
The ban on single-use plastics is all thanks to the momentum inspired by ocean lovers. More and more, we are seeing change happen, due to the passion of people, asking for a better way.
Here we can see that WA is leading the way with the ban on single-use plastics, having added plastic cups and plastic coffee cups to their list, whilst Tassie and the NT sit at the bottom of the report card.
With NSW's new announcement, their committment to ban single-use plastic bags, plastic straws & stirrers, cutlery, polystyrene food service items, plastic cotton bud sticks, and microbeads in cosmetics, is expected to commence in 2022, where they will offically be starting their plastic free journey.
NSW Plastic Action Plan
800,000 tonnes of Australia's plastic waste is from NSW. Here are the 6 action planned steps NSW is following to reduce plastic waste:
Action 1 - Introduce new legislation to reduce harmful plastics
Action 2 - Accelerate the transition to better plastic products
Action 3 - Support innovation
Action 4 - Tackle cigarette butt litter
Action 5 - Reduce the risk of nurdles (small plastic pellets) in the environment
Action 6 - Support plastics research
WA's Plan For Plastics
Western Australia has identified 4 core strategies to help them elimate plastic. These include:
Strategy 1 - Engagement & Education
Strategy 2 - Government leadership and regulation
Strategy 3 - Stewardship and sustainability
Strategy 4 - Research and innovation
Change is inevitable so why not make this change something to be proud about. Let's re evaluate our way of life and have a world without plastic be our new norm.
If you're ready to make some changes, we encourage you to shop our a range of ethical and plastic free products and start your sustainable journey today. We also invite you to help ban single-use plastics in Australia, by signing the petition here.
Check out our other blogs for tips on reducing your plastic!
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