Moreland Council bans single use plastics from its land

Balloons, plastic cutlery and straws will be a thing of the past in Melbourne’s inner north after Moreland Council voted to ban single use plastics from all council events and land.

Several other councils across Australia have voted to ban single use plastics, including nearby Darebin and Banyule. File photo/Dylan Robinson

Balloons, plastic plates and cutlery and straws will be banned at all events run on Moreland Council land as part of a plastic policy.

The Plastic Wise Policy will ban single use plastic bags as well, and the council will not sell single use bottles or cups at any events in an attempt to crack down on waste.

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Sporting clubs or leisure centres that use council facilities will still be allowed to sell soft drinks, sports drinks or water in plastic bottles but will be forced to provide access to free drinking water and to sell reusable bottles or cups at the same time.

The council will also crack down on litter being left behind after events.

Moreland mayor Natalie Abboud said the removal of plastics from events would be a game changer in the war on waste.

Plastic knives and forks will no longer be seen on Moreland Council land.

“Council has the purview of rates, roads and rubbish and this is rubbish,” she said.

“We need to do what we can to start addressing (plastic).”

Several other councils across Australia have voted to ban single use plastics, including Darebin and Banyule.

Other motions that were passed at the meeting this week included:

• A new kerbside waste policy will mean that all Moreland households can apply for a free green waste bin from July 1. In the policy, waste, including both food scraps and garden clippings, will be collected fortnightly until a weekly roll out in 2021.
• Approval for an accessible tram stop on Route 96 in Brunswick East. The stop on Nicholson St was designed by Public Transport Victoria and will feature a platform between Brunswick Rd and the Capital City Trail.
• An increase in safety for cyclists in Brunswick East, with John St to close to vehicle traffic to encourage safer routes for those biking on the East Brunswick Shimmy.