Mitcham Council to consider banning single-use plastic straws
ANOTHER council is considering banning single-use plastic straws at events on land it controls, after the city council announced a ban.
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SINGLE-use plastic straws would be banned at all events on Mitcham Council-controlled land under a councillor’s plan.
The council was expected to vote this month whether to scrap the use and supply of plastic straws from its events and those it licenced.
If successful, the ban would come into place from April next year
However, exceptions could be made for the elderly and people with disabilities who may require straws in order to drink, and straws that could be recycled or re-used.
Cr Karen Hockley believed her proposal was a “no-brainer” and had wide community support.
“They want us to be more sustainable and be thinking more about how we can lead in reducing our footprint,” Cr Hockley said.
“It’s partly brought on by the issues in our recycling industry at the moment. It’s brought everything about recycling and waste to a head.
“Local government needs to be showing more leadership. This is an easy thing to do.”
She believed contractors, such as food stalls at council events, would be receptive to the change as they were “locals who are already invested in the community sentiment anyway”.
Lisa Down, who has already scrapped plastic straws from her Hawthorndene cafe, Joan’s Pantry, backed the move.
She has moved her cafe to paper straws, which she said cost twice as much as plastic.
“But I think the more people who use them, the price will come down,” Ms Down said.
“More and more people are becoming aware of the necessity for biodegradable products, especially takeaway.”
She described Cr Hockley’s plan as “fantastic news”.
The push came as Adelaide City Council last week agreed to ban single-use plastic straws at its own events and those in the Parklands.
Many Adelaide pubs and bars have already ditched plastic straws.
Meanwhile, Mitcham Mayor Glenn Spear has also joined the chorus against plastic waste.
He last week said he would like to see Mitcham Council install a water fountain at every playground and reserve in the district to discourage people from buying bottled water.
He also asked staff if they could, where budgets allowed, use recycled products.