The ocean is essential to our life on earth.
It provides food for the world and livelihood to more than 4 billion* people.
It gives us the beaches we love, play + live on.
It regulates our climate + absorbs huge amounts of carbon from the atmosphere.
Seeing first hand the impact of our actions on biodiversity in the bay, Sheree wants us to aim for zero waste, avoid single-use plastics + Recycle Right.
Only 9% of all plastic ever made has been recycled. We need to dramatically reduce the amount we use.
Not only is the plastic ending up in our oceans and environment. It’s ending up in US.
Yup. On average, we ingest about one credit card’s worth of plastic a week.
Recycle right + precious resources can be made into something new.
Recycle wrong + we waste the resources that made the packaging in the first place.
Recycle Right with ‘four bins’.
1: RECYCLING = paper/cardboard. glass. tin, hard plastics (milk cartons etc.) Keep these empty, dry, clean + UNBAGGED (no plastic bags ever in recycle)
2: FOOD SCRAPS – Do everything to keep food scraps from the bin.
Some councils accept food scraps in the food + garden organics (FOGO) bin. Check yours.
Set up your compost or worm bin to keep these nutrients from landfill where they harm (creating methane, a toxic gas) + get them into the soil where they heal. (Healthy soil draws more carbon out of the atmosphere.)
3: SOFT PLASTICS – Scrunchable Chip, lollie + cereal packets go to the supermarket soft plastics bin to get made into new things! Drop at Redcycle bin at selected supermarkets. redcycle.net.au
4: LANDFILL – Aim for this bad-boy to be your smallest bin. It’s the stuff we can’t reuse (polystyrene, broken crockery, ceramics, pyrex used tissues, nappies, wipes)
TIPS:
– “It’s only one straw!” said 8 billion people…everything counts.
– Avoid single use packaging. Remember your reusable bag, coffee cup, water bottle.
– Make it easy with 4 separate, clearly labeled bins (as above.)
– Keep recycling loose. Never bagged.
– Textiles in good condition go to charity, repurpose OR landfill.
– Flatten cardboard to maximise space.
– Food + liquids contaminate other stuff in the bin. Empty containers first.
– E-waste (electrical + batteries) start fires! (Check council, Officeworks or supermarket for drop-offs.)
– Look for packaging that’s recyclable, reusable or compostable;
PS: If in doubt, leave it out. We can’t unscramble the egg, so avoid “wish-cycling” (wish-cycling is doing it wrong + wishing the magic recycling fairy will separate it for you. She won’t.)
For more check cleanaway.com.au
