Sunday’s assault on single-use plastic as part of Clean Up Australia Day could be just the beginning for Launceston, with the city council to launch an awareness campaign this month.
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A day after Plastic Free Launceston conducted an audit of the items after its clean up in the city centre, the City of Launceston reaffirmed its commitment to the reduction of plastic within the municipality at Monday’s council meeting.
It came in response to a question from Alderman Danny Gibson at February’s meeting asking what the council was doing to assist the reduction of plastic in Launceston.
In its response, the council said a “new rethink TV advertising, social media, radio and print media will be launched encouraging people to avoid single-use plastic”.
Alderman Gibson also suggested a workshop with Plastic Free Launceston, which he hoped would come to fruition.
“It is important that we actively engage to be proactive and a leader in this area,” Alderman Gibson said.
“I am looking forward to the March unveiling of the public awareness campaign.”
The timing could not be better for Plastic Free Launceston, which celebrated its first anniversary last Friday.
Sunday’s clean up effort was coupled with the launch of its Last Straw campaign at the beginning of March.
Plastic Free Launceston president Trish Haeusler said the impact of single-use plastics had begun to work its way into the national consciousness.
“It is true that we did put a question to council last year expressing our concern about single-use plastic and we were pleased to hear about council staff participated in Plastic Free July last year,” she said.
“However, I think there has been a considerable amount of information about plastic pollution from many sources, including The War on Waste last year, as well as Hobart's City Council and their decision to ban single-use take away plastic packaging by 2020.
“Smaller community groups such as ours and Plastic Wise Taroona down south have also contributed to businesses making a move away from single-use plastics.”
The Last Straw campaign
Eva Mckinley founded The Last Straw campaign as a way to reduce the use of plastic straws in venues around Australia.
The campaign aims to create change from the consumer, as well as the businesses themselves.
Ms Mckinley was previously a director of 'Global Partners for Changes'; a program that supports young Kenyans to create social change within their communities.
The 26-year-old was also the first Tasmanian Ambassador for the 2014 One Young World Summit held in Dublin.
While pursuing issues of social change, she was working nights in hospitality venues in Hobart.
It was here that she saw first hand the waste produced in the hospitality industry.
Mrs Haeusler said Plastic-Free Launceston was visiting businesses “daily” to provide facts about the use of plastic straws.
“It is our aim to have as many venues, cafes, restaurants going plastic straw free by July,” she said.
