The Lane Cove community is always looking to be a
sustainable community by striving to reduce the impact on the environment and
shift towards sustainable practices.
In
response to community support for this important issue, Council
decided to phase out single-use plastics from Council venues and Council-run
events from 2018. This extends to the use of balloons at Council-run and
supported outdoor events.
For the purpose of clarifying the term single-use
plastics, they are defined as “disposable plastics
that are commonly used for plastic packaging and include items intended to be used only
once before they are thrown away or recycled”.
Single-use
plastics have many negative environmental, social and economic impacts.
Australians use four to six billion single-use plastic bags alone each year,
with only 3% of these being recycled and 80 million of these ending up as
litter. Globally, at least eight million tonnes of mishandled plastic waste washes
into our oceans and rivers each year. Plastic does not biodegrade; rather it
breaks down into ever-smaller pieces. Ongoing research by the CSIRO shows that
microplastics - tiny plastic fibres and fragments - are being found in marine
and human food chains and their impacts are a growing concern.
Council has
resolved to being at the forefront of community expectations and to actively
support the phasing out of single-use plastics. The
level of support shown from the local community demonstrates a commitment
towards the environment. Council encourages you to consider swapping single-use items for alternatives.
By reducing
the use of single-use plastic items, Council is demonstrating a tangible
commitment to our community and future generations.
Plastic Bag Diet
In collaboration with Macquarie University, Council has introduced a new single-use plastic bag reduction program nicknamed the ‘Plastic Bag Diet’. The aim of the project is to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic bags and support the community’s transition to alternative bags. Council has provided selected businesses with sustainable bags for a trial period. You can support local business by taking your reusable bags when you shop and by saying no to plastic bags.
