Start off the month by completing a quick SUP survey about your current habits with Single-Use Plastics. Try and remember to do the SUP Survey again at the end of the month - the link is on 30 SUPtember :) Also get set up for SUPtember by ordering your Good SUP, Bad SUP postcards.
Pledge to say no to plastic shopping bags, take your re-usables. Make sure you have your re-usable bags in your car boot or in your carry bag. And check out Tim Minchin in all his glory shouting "Take Your Canvas Bag to the Supermarket!!"
Clean Up Australia is calling on all Australians to Step Up and make a pledge towards reducing their waste contribution. There are so many ways to Step Up! And together we can all be part of the solution. Share your Step Up action by taking a selfie, sharing it and tagging @CleanUpAustralia #StepUptoCleanUp
Step Up to Clean Up on YouTube
If you live north of the Tropic of Capricorn, step up and register for The Great Northern Clean Up. It has been an annual event in September since 2009, giving communities north of the Tropic of Capricorn the flexibility to participate in clean up events in the cooler months, after the peak tourist period and prior to the cyclone season.
SUPport your local bag share group - do you have a Boomerang Bag group near you? Check out the Boomerang Bag shop to support this awesome Australian community group. Short on bags? Order one from Boomerang Bags.
Featured local bag share group: Lane Cove Sustainability Action Group Bag Share Program
Paddle NSW is organising paddle-based clean ups at various location across NSW. For more information visit their website or email [email protected]
For those of you who don't live near a planned clean up paddle, you can Take3 For the Sea - Take 3 pieces of rubbish with you when you leave the beach, waterway or anywhere and you have made a difference!
ReefClean is a project coordinated by Tangaroa Blue Foundation and funded through the Australian Government’s Reef Trust focused on the removal and prevention of marine debris across the Great Barrier Reef. ReefClean connects community members, indigenous rangers, schools, government agencies, local businesses and organisations in addressing one of biggest threats to our oceans. There are many events throughout September so sign up on!
For those of you who don't live near the Great Barrier Reef, have a read how plastics have become a growing threat to coral reefs.
Find local suppliers of re-usable and paper straws, don't be tricked by oxo-degradable plastic straws!* Here's one example of a paper straw supplier.
*Oxo-degradable is a conventional plastic mixed with an additive in order to imitate biodegradation. Oxo-degradable plastics quickly fragment into smaller and smaller pieces, called microplastics, but don’t break down at the molecular or polymer level like biodegradable and compostable plastics. The resulting microplastics are left in the environment indefinitely until they eventually fully break down.
Do you live in or near Manly, NSW? Join us on the 1st and 3rd Saturday’s of the month at 9am (or 10am in winter), for a free community cleanup at Manly Cove. We provide bags and gloves for those who wish to cleanup on the beach, and encourage you to bring swimmers and goggles for a cleanup beneath the surface. Floating debris can be collected by SUP or kayak and our friends at Manly Kayak Centre will happily hire you one. Come dressed for the method of cleanup you prefer! Email [email protected] to register.
For those of you who don't live in the area, do a Take3 For the Sea - Take 3 pieces of rubbish with you when you leave the beach, waterway or anywhere and you have made a difference.
Pick up any SUP litter today and send a photo to your local state MP and Environment Minister, ie. via email or tag them on Facebook and Twitter. Check our July Newsletter to see which SUPs your state is banning and when. Thank them for taking action and tell them where you found the bad SUP and why it is so important to phase out SUPs in your state ASAP.
What YOU can do to be exSTRAWdinary! Ask for no straw - Most drinks can be drunk without a straw these days. Plus, it's a great way to start a conversation with your bartender about the impact of plastic straws! BYO reusable straw - You can carry a metal, bamboo or glass straw with you for those occasions when you really want a straw. Chat to venues - As a customer, you have more power than you think. Let your favourite bar or cafe know you'd love for them to stop using plastic straws. You can even visit them with a few Plastic Free Resources to help them get started.
Talk to your local soccer/netball/footy club about any SUPs they are using. Can you help them find alternatives? (Refer to your research on Tuesday :)
Follow the example of great local sports clubs like Brunswick junior Football Club.
Beach Patrol has created a phone app to record the collection of the top 24 SUP items for any group or individual to use called Litter Stopper. Free to download from Apple AppStore and Google Play Store. The person entering the data gets sent a copy of the data as well to a central server. Instructions are on the front page of the app.
You can see the results of all the collections on the Litter Stopper website with some interesting basic analysis on the View summary page. Download the data from the website too if you wish to use it.
Pledge to say no to takeaway plastic foodware, eg. trays, cutlery and especially polystyrene. Plan ahead and take your own container and cutlery if you are eating out and use the Good SUP, Bad SUP cards.
Ask your local school to try alternatives to any of the single use plastic items that they use in the canteen or office. Check out the Ocean Friendly Business program run by the Surfrider Foundation - can your local school canteen meet the challenge?
Get some good ideas to help your school canteen go plastic free from Plastic Free July.
Find local suppliers of paper, sugarcane, and other compostable alternatives to plastic foodware items. So Shire have a good page of suppliers to check out. Find out if your Council or a local company offers a Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) service, that accepts certified compostable items with the food scraps.
Extra challenge: Find out about what the Australian Home Composting Standard and Industrial Composting Standards mean.
Pick up any SUP litter today and send a photo to your local state MP and Environment Minister, ie. via email or tag them on Facebook and Twitter. Check our July Newsletter to see which SUPs your state is banning and when. Thank them for taking action and tell them where you found the bad SUP and why it is so important to phase out SUPs in your state ASAP.
Visit your local cafe/restaurant and talk to them about SUPs - If they are bad-SUP-free give them a big thank you! If they are still using bad SUPs encourage them to make the switch to reusables or compostable items. Give them a Good SUP, Bad SUP card - either a Gratitude card or a Be the Change card, available from Boomerang Alliance Online Shop.
Also check our Boomerang Alliance Plastic Free Places program for some guides on how to be a Plastic Free Business.
Find out about the great national citizen science program AUSMAP. "It’s hard to solve a problem you can’t see. So we’re putting microplastic pollution on the map!"
Pledge to say no to single use beverage cups and bottled water and take your own reusable cup and bottle. Be inspired by the story of Bundanoon in NSW, the world's first bottled water free town in 2009! Also find out how the Bottled Water Free Town idea came about.
If you haven't got a reusable cup, it's time to get one! A lot of local businesses and councils are selling or even giving away re-usable cups. Or dust off the one in your cupboard and remember to take it when you are out and about. Be assured that washing a re-usable cup is safe. Learn about the "contactless pour" if your local coffee shop is concerned. Find out about Covid-safe coffees.
Check out if there is a plastic free group active near you and if there isn't one yet consider getting one started. Small groups of people can make a big difference. Together you can encourage your local council to take action and sign up to Plastic Free Places, or start with a trial. Be inspired by groups like SO SHIRE/Plastic Free Sutherland in the Sutherland Shire of NSW (where the Prime Minister lives!) and Seaside Scavenge who are running creative events around the country.
Pick up any littered coffee cups, lids or other cup rubbish today and send a photo to your local state MP and Environment Minister, ie. via email or tag them on Facebook and Twitter. Check our July Newsletter to see which SUPs your state is banning and when. Thank them for taking action and tell them where you found the bad SUP and why it is so important to phase out SUPs in your state ASAP.
Have you cashed in your eligible bottles and cans for 10c REFUNDS? Find your nearest collection point, Return and Earn Reverse Vending Machine or automated depot where can take large number of bottles/cans. If you're in Victoria or Tasmania, write to your State Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio (VIC) and Roger Jaensch (TAS) and encourage them to get a wriggle on. They are committed to bringing in a Container Refund System so thank them and tell them why you think it is important. We want a system that maximises recycling, reduces litter and helps charities raise money. Find the link to their contact details on every Friday on the calendar.
The Clean Up Australia PLOG-A-THON is the perfect way to get out in your local area. Socially responsible, physically distant exercise that leads to a cleaner environment and community - what's not to love?
The PLOG-A-THON is a great way to burn off energy, get the whole family involved – and raise funds for Clean Up Australia. All participants will pay a $20 registration fee and receive a plogging kit containing gloves, hand sanitiser and bags. As with traditional walk-a-thons and other fun runs, you can register as an individual or join a virtual team, setting targets for fundraising, distance covered and litter collection.
World Rivers Day is a celebration of the world’s waterways, every year on the 4th Sunday in September. It highlights the many values of our rivers, strives to increase public awareness, and encourages the improved stewardship of all rivers around the world. Rivers in virtually every country face an array of threats, and only through our active involvement can we ensure their health in the years ahead.
Be inspired by groups who care for their local river, like the Mudcrabs, the Mullets with the Cooks River and around the world.
Pledge to get out and enjoy and look after our waterways by spreading the word about the importance of not using bad SUPs. We totally encourage you to try good SUPs (Stand-Up Paddleboards if you can) - there are heaps of small businesses giving lessons, hiring SUPs and community groups you can join to get out on the water. Check out where you can paddle in your state or territory and visit their respective websites: Paddle NSW, Paddle VIC, Paddle QLD, Paddle SA, Paddle TAS and Paddle Australia.
Write to your local paper (snail mail, email or on social media) and your State Environment Minister to tell them what you have done during SUPtember. Send a copy to [email protected] so we can include stories and photos in our Boomerang Alliance newsletter.
Join with other SUPporters of the Boomerang Alliance in regular actions, letter-writing and consider being a financial supporter if you are able. Maybe you are a Plastic Free Champion? or Zero Waste Hero? Keep up to date with us by signing up to our newsletter.
Last survey - whether or not you completed the SUP Survey at the start of the month, please complete our quick SUP survey about your current habits with Single-Use Plastics. Have you made any or many changes during the month?
Every day for 30 days, you will be challenged to take a pledge or a small action to refuse Single Use Plastic items. If you're a busy person, just do what you can, every small action matters!
