Cheers to QLD for move on wine, spirits in Container Refunds
The inclusion of glass wine and spirit bottles in Queensland’s container refund scheme is a significant move on glass recycling that should be mirrored by other states asap.
Read moreOcean Bound plastic: More greenwash?
Ocean bound plastic refers to plastic usually collected from unregulated landfills, dumps or litter collected within 50 kms of the coast. The average person is more likely to conclude it must be plastic litter picked up from the oceans or beaches. It is not. And because it's mixed plastics and very likely contaminated with toxins, it can't be used for food grade products.
Our colleagues at Tangaroa Blue have lodged a complaint with the ACCC about this matter, and we welcome their action.
Container refunds come to Victoria - finally - but challenges ahead
The announcement today of the Coordinator and Network Operators (NOs) for Victoria's Container Refund Scheme, marks the end of a very long effort spanning several decades, by community groups who had to battle big drink companies opposed to the introduction of modern drink bottle and can recycling. There are however, challenges ahead that will require close attention by the government.
Read moreSupermarkets released timid plan for soft plastics recycling
Today’s release by Coles, Woolworths and Aldi of a soft plastics "Roadmap to Restart" is an admission of failure over the last 5 years and does not inspire confidence the problem will be solved.
Read moreThe Briefing: The epic fail of our soft plastics recycling system
Australia's largest soft plastics recycling scheme REDcycle collapsed last November and last week the scheme was declared insolvent by the Supreme court. Soft plastics collected from supermarkets were sent to warehouses where they’ve been stockpiled for months, leaving consumers disappointed and pushing Australia even further from its national packaging target. So, how far are we from that 2025 goal?
Read moreSupermarkets first step on soft plastics journey?
The commitment by Coles and Woolworths to manage the REDcycle soft plastic stockpile is hopefully, the start of a journey to recycling the vast bulk of Australia’s 440,000tonnes of the material, the Boomerang Alliance said today.
Read moreQueensland to Ban the Release of Lighter Than Air Balloons
The Queensland Government has introduced legislation to ban the release of lighter than air balloons. The ban is likely to be put into effect in September 2023.
Read moreHow effective are reusable/"green" bags?
How often or long do we need to use green bags to make reusable bags actually environmentally friendly and how are they being recycled?
Boomerang Alliance campaigner Birte Moliere spoke with James Valentine on ABC News.
Read moreABC News: Businesses not alone in move away from plastic
Cafes and restaurants are being pushed away from plastic, with single use plastic bans coming into force across the country.
It can be an expensive transition, but there's support for businesses making the move towards greener alternatives.
Read moreSupermarkets start abandoning heavyweight plastic bags but not providing genuine reusable alternatives
Western Australia banned heavyweight plastic bags in 2022, Queensland will follow this September. South Australia and the ACT will act soon. The bans are forcing the major supermarkets to abandon their 15 or 25 cent plastic bags.
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