Launch of our plan to stop marine plastic pollution
Last week we held two event nights at Melbourne and Brisbane where we launched our draft Threat Abatement Plan to reduce 70% of Australia's plastic pollution entering the ocean by 2020. The night's were a combination of in-depth policy content by Dave West who has championed the campaign, Toby Hutchinson our Queensland Manager, Jeff Angel and guest speakers Chris Wilcox a research scientist with CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Susie Crick, Winter Vincent and Pacha Light from the Surfrider Foundation who spoke about the urgent need to for action to protect our oceans.
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We won! Queensland will ban plastic bags
Fantastic news today! The Queensland Government has just announced the introduction of a ban on single use, lightweight plastic bags. This is a significant step forward in reducing plastic litter and its impact upon native and marine wildlife. Plastic bags in particular are a problem for birds and marine animals that often mistake these for food or get entangled in them. They also break up into microplastics that enter the marine food chain and onto our dinner plates.
The proposed Queensland ban will follow similar bans already in place in South Australia, ACT, Northern Territory and Tasmania but Queensland has taken it a step further with inclusion of so-called degradable and biodegradable plastic bags in the ban. These also break up into dangerous microplastics that enter the food chain.
We call on NSW and Victoria to join in – already well-over one billion bags have been littered in the last 10 years through their inaction. NSW is the worst laggard.
Toby Hutcheon, Queensland Manager
& Jeff Angel, Director
Planning for Plastic
Podcast:
Dave West explains how planning for plastic can drastically reduce the amount of litter in high density locations entering the marine environment.
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Historic opportunity to ban the bag along the east coast
Together we could get a ban on single-use plastic bags along the Australian's east coast!
With your help, the plastic bag ban is on the agenda of the next Environment Minister meeting on 25 November but we need to keep up the pressure to make sure they make the right decision. Yesterday we sent a demand to the ministers to finally resolve this urgent issue, from 50 environment and community groups representing hundreds of communities from around Australia.
We're making as much noise as we can: sending thousands of letters to the environment ministers, organising stalls at community event across the states, keeping the issue in the media, releasing plastic bags monsters in Sydney and delivering tote bags to the members of the NSW cabinet.
Please help us put pressure on them. Together we could save countless turtles, whales, birds and other marine life from harm.
> NSW Environment Minister Mark Speakman ([email protected] or (02) 8574 6390
> Queensland Environment Minister, Steven Miles ([email protected]) or (07) 3719 7330
> Victorian Environment Minister, Lily D'ambrosio (lily.d'[email protected]) or (03) 8392 2100
You can also make a donation for the plastic bag push here.
We believe succes in just around the corner.
Jeff Angel, Convenor and Director
It's The Law
PODCAST:
A look into regulatory enforcement surrounding the management of waste by Dave West.
Guest clip by Heidi Taylor from Tangaroa Blue on Operation Clean Sweep.
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Take Back Initiatives
Throw away society? Take it back!
Recycling is not a new idea. It’s been practised for centuries from composting to reusing discarded resources or refurbishing and repairing items. But things changed during the 1950s and 60s when the combination of new materials such as plastic packaging and the throw-away society started to become dominant marketing forces. As much as it repels those who support recycling, there was great excitement about having to use household items such as plastic plates and cutlery only once – and then throw them away! ‘Much easier on the housewife too’, the advertising extolled. And of course this spread to the outdoors where polluting litter exploded.
The resulting highly visible litter and failure to properly manage our waste started to become the driver for policy reform. There is a famous 1971 Keep America Beautiful advert depicting the way America’s landscape was being despoiled through the eyes of a native American as he peacefully canoes along his local waterway – take a look at The Crying Indian
Read moreCalling on Environment Ministers to stop the toxic tide
Dear Ministers,
Scientists and community groups have been sounding the alarm on marine plastic pollution – and as you know the 2016 Senate Inquiry, Toxic Tide: the threat of marine plastic, strongly endorsed this concern, finding there is a ‘looming health crisis’.
The report also recommended comprehensive and concerted action on a range of plastic pollution sources. Over the past 18 months the Meeting of Environment Ministers has been considering policies on plastic bags and microbeads. The community is expecting action from your forthcoming meeting in November.
The microbeads industry agreement has world leading scope as it includes facial cleansers like the recent US ban, but also follows the research undertaken in Europe that identifies far larger sources of microbead pollution, namely detergents, synthetic waxes and polishes. Given the timetable set out by ministers and action by an increasing number of overseas jurisdictions we believe it’s time for Australia to complete the industry negotiation process. In addition there must be a regulatory underpinning for free riders – with many products still containing plastic microbeads.
Ministers should ensure a complete phase out by 1 July 2017.
Action on plastic bags is long overdue. Previous voluntary efforts have failed to stem single plastic bag use and litter remains a significant problem for our landscape and marine life. While some states have taken action to ban them, the policies have been weakened by exempting so-called ‘biodegradable bags (which simply break up into small pieces).
We understand Qld, NSW and Vic have been discussing joint action. We strongly urge that an agreement is reached at the November meeting. Our surveys of public opinion (Omnipoll) show that plastic bags are the top priority for action.
The community is expecting a decision and an effective ban during 2017.
Washing machine fibres are also a focus for new approaches as a large amount of microscopic fibres can be released into wastewater during each use of a domestic washing machine, with many likely to pass through sewage treatment and into the environment. Filters on washing machines to capture the fibres are one solution now being reviewed by some leading brands.
The Boomerang Alliance and its 45 allied groups have joined with the community to take action on plastic pollution.
We urge environment ministers to do the same.
Yours sincerely,
Jeff Angel
Director