Canterbury Bankstown Council to ban single-use plastics
Canterbury Bankstown Council will be banning all single-use plastics, including straws and cups from its facilities and events.
The Express
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SINGLE-USE plastics, including straws and cups, will be banned from all Canterbury Bankstown Council facilities and events.
The decision, which was passed unanimously at the council’s monthly meeting last week, makes it only the second council in NSW to take this decision.
A council spokeswoman said they want to implement the ban as soon as possible and are
conducting an audit on all plastic items currently used.
“We will be looking at which ones are essential for safety reasons, and those we can remove or replace,” the spokeswoman said.
The motion was put forward by councillor George Zakhia who said Plastic-Free July was the perfect time to raise awareness of problems faced throughout the world.
“We use these single-use plastics for a moment, yet they live forever,” he said.
“I’m proud we are doing our bit for the environment and leading by example.”
Mayor Khal Asfour said the issue could not be ignored.
“A single plastic bag will take up to 1000 years to break down; as a state, we litter approximately 61 million plastic bags each year and more than 70 per cent of the rubbish entering our oceans is plastic,” he said.
“Council is taking the lead and I am now urging residents to join the ‘Choose to Refuse’ movement.
“It can be as simple as remembering to take your reusable bags when shopping. using reusable drink bottles and lunch containers and picking up any litter you see on the street.”
Coincidentally, last month, Bankstown Sports Club introduced eco-straws, which are biodegradable.
Created by Eco-Straw, the straw is plastic with the additive ‘reverte’, which alters the molecular structure of the plastic, reducing its lifespan to just 18 months, instead of 30 plus years.
Meanwhile, Bankstown Arts Centre’s new exhibition Thinking Local showcases the importance of eco-friendly actions in the neighbourhoods.
Artist Jyi Westaway began painting his mural on the Arts Centre’s Imagine Wall last week, saying the environment is very important to everyone.
“Sustainability is second nature to me and it’s also how I create my artwork,” the artist, who goes by Jyiro, said.
“After learning the regent honeyeater birds are on the endangered list in the Bankstown area, I
decided to paint three regent honeyeaters in different perspectives.
“I believe, if we don’t all come together and fight for our earth, we’ll trap ourselves.”
Basilios Papaioannou and Gemma Quilty are creating artworks and video installations.
■ For more information about going plastic free, visit plasticfreejuly.org