Following on from the fabulous “War On Waste” programme on ABC television, I have started chatting to our local ABC radio station every fortnight in relation to the perils of plastic and what we can do about it in an individual capacity.
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Last time on air I mentioned that one of the major brand-name soft drink companies is the world’s largest producer of drinks sold in plastic bottles and they estimate themselves that they produce over 120 billion bottles (yes that’s BILLION) per year.
Greenpeace estimates that if you laid those 120 billion bottles down nose to tail that that would then be enough bottles to wrap around the circumference of our beautiful planet earth 700 times. That’s a mighty lot of plastic bottles.
We also talked about the #StrawNoMore initiative, started by the inspiring Molly Steer, and how unless we really need one, we should avoid having straws in our drinks.
I have noticed recently that a few places locally have gone down the ‘bio-degradable’ pathway.
Whilst it is fantastic that they are really thinking about the straw issue, straws need to be compostable because anything bio-degradable only breaks down into little pieces and does not break down completely - in fact all the plastic is still there but just in tiny pieces. So compostable straws need to be the order of the day if you need one!
And while we’re thinking about reducing our plastic, if you buy meat, try not to buy it at supermarkets.
There is so much plastic in the wrapping of supermarket meat, and a lot of confusion as to whether the meat trays that they are packaged in are actually recyclable or not.
So the better option is to go to your local butcher and take your own containers to put your meat in automatically cutting down on the single use plastic.
Of course supermarket shopping can always take you unawares and it’s so easy to leave your shopping bags in the car.
So don’t forget you can always ask for a cardboard box when supermarket shopping … and keep on looking out for Boomerang Bags available in several spots across the Shire.
Any questions and further information on Upper Hunter Shire's upcoming workshops in popping our waste in the right place, contact Melinda Hale, the Upper Hunter Shire Council Sustainability Manager by calling Council on 6540 1100.