Note: At the end of 2019, the Plastic Free Noosa project was handed over to the Noosa community, and is now managed by Tourism Noosa.
Profile
Name: Plastic Free Noosa
Community: Noosa, Qld
Project Initiated: Feb 2017
On-ground commencement: Feb 2018
Project Model: Whole of community, open to all food retailers in Noosa, plus selected markets and events.
Co-ordinator: Chad Buxton
Website: www.plasticfreenoosa.org
Social Media: @plasticfreenoosa
Project Partners: Noosa Council, Tourism Noosa, Surfrider Foundation Sunshine Coast, Boomerang Bags Noosa, Zero Emissions Noosa, Noosa Community Biosphere Association, Sunshine Coast Environment Council, IN Noosa Magazine, Noosa FM, Take 3 for the Sea.
Funding Bodies: Previously: QLD Government Dept. Environment and Science, Tourism Noosa, Noosa Council. Currently: Tourism Noosa, Noosa Council
Impact
In 2018, Plastic Free Noosa worked with over 100 businesses and eliminated more than 1.6 million single-use plastic items. By the end of 2019, these figures had increased to over 200 members, and 4.3 million plastic items. See our 2019 Report.
While we stopped counting the data when we handed the project over at the end of 2019, the plastic savings continue.
Our impact (as at December 31, 2019) is...
* Plastic Free Champions are members that have eliminated all of our key plastic items (straws, coffee cups & lids, takeaway containers & lids, food ware (cutlery, plates, cups etc), water bottles & bags).
Key successes
Helped run Noosa's first ‘plastic free’ event, the Noosa Food and Wine Festival (NFWF) in May 2018, with most waste going to recycling or a commercial composting facility, and diverting a large amount of waste from landfill. This created a path for others to follow, with 8 events and 2 markets joining us in 2018. This number increased to 18 events in 2019.
Worked with events NFWF and Noosa Triathlon in 2018 achieve a composting service and on-site separation of waste. NFWF generated 5.3 tonnes of compostable food and packaging waste, which created 0.5 tonne of compost. Noosa Triathlon used 180,000 compostable cups which were separated and composted locally. In 2019, the NFWF improved the process and created 1.3 tonnes of compost.
Worked with local commercial composter Earthborn to increase services in the area and identify which compostable packaging standards would meet their regulations for compost output.
Worked with 5 major manufacturers (including Biopak, Detpak, and Greenmark) to deliver plastic-free versions of their product catalogues to allow businesses to more easily identify plastic free options..
Worked with packaging manufacturer Biopak to produce a 3-bin system signage system to assist events/festivals and to provide product discounts to all members. .
Developed a comprehensive water strategy to provide businesses a viable alternative to selling single-use water bottles that compliments BYO behaviours. The strategy is being trialled for other communities.
