Greencap Eco-News  |  Issue 9 |  July 2022

Plastic bag bans now in place Australia-wide

As part of Greencap's commitment to all things sustainable, we are pleased to send this regular communication where Greencap's own Eco-Sustainability Committee team members provide interesting facts, quick eco-tips, and recent environmental news.

This issue includes updates on the various single-use plastic bans across the country, going plastic-free this July and helpful tips to reduce your plastic in general!

Did you know?
All Australian states and territories have now banned single-use plastic bags!

An April 2021 meeting of federal, state and territory environment ministers identified eight ‘problematic and unnecessary’ plastic product types for industry to phase out nationally by 2025 (or sooner in some cases) under the National Waste Policy Action Plan, although this is understood to be a voluntary target.

The products to be phased out include:

• Lightweight plastic bags
• Plastic products misleadingly termed as ‘degradable’
• Plastic straws
• Plastic utensils and stirrers
• Expanded polystyrene (EPS) consumer food containers (e.g. cups and clamshells)
• EPS consumer goods packaging (loose fill and moulded)
• Microbeads in personal health care products

Likewise under the National Plastics Plan, the Commonwealth Government has also committed to phase out loose fill and moulded polystyrene packaging (by July 2022), as well as expanded polystyrene foodware, oxo-degradable plastics (plastic products made from conventional plastics and supplemented with additives in order to mimic biodegradation), and PVC packaging labels (by December 2022).

See below a rundown of what’s currently happening across the country with plastic bags and other problematic, single-use plastics as compiled by the Australian Marine  Conservation Society:

Learn more at marineconservation.org.au

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Becoming conscious of how much plastic we unwittingly purchase (such as at the supermarket) is a key part in knowing how to reduce it in new and innovative ways and taking the challenge can be as simple as giving up plastic in the workplace or a certain area (such as at home or at university), or as complex as attempting to give up all plastic for the entire month.

This challenge aims to change habits and to get us thinking differently about our everyday plastic consumption. 

Click the button below and email engagement@greencap.com.au with your screenshot for confirmation! 

Helpful Tips & Tricks to Reduce Plastic:
 

• KeepCups - Keep one in the office, at home and in the car so you are ready to go. Takeaway places are usually happy to give them a rinse if they have been used. 

• Supermarket - Many supermarkets now allow you to purchase items, such as cherry tomatoes, in bulk. Store reusable bags in the car as the thicker plastic bags are also being phased out by Coles and Woolworths

• Secondhand - Can that item you want to buy new be bought refurbished or secondhand? There are so many places to purchase clothes, tech, household goods etc to reduce plastic demand

• Garbage – Always bag items and ensure they are secure in the rubbish bin. There are also many types of biodegradable bags that can be used

• Loads – Secure them so loose and/or light items aren’t dislodged off your vehicle or trailer, and use a holder or magnetic L or P plates.

• Kerbside – Look carefully when parking to avoid crushing road litter, increasing risk of microplastics. 

• Take pride in your community and set a civic duty example by keeping your area litter-free. Take up 'plogging' by taking a biodegradable rubbish bag and cleaning up as you go for a walk or jog! 

• Mowing - Check grass is clear of debris before and after mowing. Pocket your whipper-snipper spent lengths and check for the snipped bits!

• Be proactive – Pick up those small piece of plastic and take the temptation away from any curious wildlife and keep the plastic out of their stomachs. 

Greencap - Making Our World Safer

Sustainable Choice enable brands to support their environmental claims through
3 key pillars:

1. Promise - Making a public commitment to environmental sustainability, publishing goals and setting ESG targets.
2. Action - Outlining progress through clearly communicating the implementation of initiatives.
3. Impact - Reporting on the delivery of initiatives through demonstrating measurable outcomes and impact.

Sustainable Choice aim to provide clear, accessible information that decodes the complex messaging, broad statements and ambiguous labels usually included in businesses own sustainability communications. The Sustainable Choice platform, allows organisations to publish their environmental actions (and impact) with full transparency, and likewise consumers have a single, go-to resource centre to help them make more informed sustainable choices.

Learn more - www.sustainablechoice.com/brand/greencap/

​Further reading:

• Watch: Plastic Pollution: How Humans are Turning the World into Plastic 
• Plastic summit could be most important green deal since Paris accords, says UN
• Clean Up Australia website
• Marine pollution: sources, distribution and fate
• United Nations Environment Programme - Marine Litter: Vital Graphics
•  ABC Catalyst - Micro-plastcs
• Total Environment Centre - The Big Steps After COP26
•  SMH - What is plastic and how much plastic is in the world?
•  Watch: Dr Mark Browne Interview