Plastic Free Places update - May 2023
Last month we officially stepped over the 20 million pieces of plastic eliminated threshold, a milestone our members and community should be proud of.
Below is a brief update from our Plastic Free Places communities across Australia, communities that are ditching single-use plastic and embracing reusable alternatives. As a team we collaborate and innovate, locally we assist businesses to implement changes relevant to their unique situations.
Together we're a force for change on a national level.
Queensland: Our Queensland program continues to grow, we're excited to be launching programs on both the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast and are currently recruiting for two new coordinators for these communities, take a look at the roles here.
Plastic Free Cairns & FNQ would like to welcome a new coordinator Monica! She joins the team alongside Helen to continue the rapid pace of action and plastic reduction in Queesland’s most northern Plastic Free Places community. If you're in Cairns, you're in safe hands with Monica!
Plastic Free Townsville & North Qld
Gypseas has recently joined our Reusable Champions Program 🙌 aimed at encouraging the uptake of reusables and culminates in a Reusables Only Day on Friday 26 May, if you're in Townsville please head along to support.
We love working with new businesses, helping them start on the right foot. That's why we were over the moon to work with Maggie Island Bubble Tea prior to their opening. They must be one of the most sustainable bubble tea businesses around now, encouraging reusables and composting their organic waste.
Central Qld with support from local and state governments CQ has launched a water refill map across the Rockhampton and Capricorn Coast areas! The map shows the location of free water refill points that are available to the public, including those that are situated inside our member businesses.
The map directs users to the refill point locations and is promoted at tourism info centres.
This is a positive move towards our reusable future!
Victoria:
Plastic Free Mornington Peninsula is proud to announce that several businesses have now been certified as Plastic Free Champions, including the Women's Spirit Project, Butterken Bakery and Commonfolk Coffee.
Commonfolk Coffee also offer customers a 10% discount on bean refills in reusable containers 😍
These businesses were all fittingly certified on the United Nations International Day of @ZeroWaste
Tasmania:
One of our youngest programs, we're thrilled that
Plastic Free Places Tasmania is welcoming new members from all over the state, like Zest Cafe in Devonport who recently joined.
We're also excited to be partnering with Willie Smiths Cider House for their Mid-winter Festival.
South Australia:
Plastic Free SA is thrilled to announce that both Intersection Traders and Eat by Mr Viet have joined the Reusably reusable network, giving their community another great avenue to avoid wasteful single-use packaging.
We're also really excited to announce that The Udder Way is launching in South Australia, providing a reusable milk-keg system that eliminates single use plastic milk bottles!
Western Australia:
WA Plastic Free is thrilled to see more cafes promoting reuse, ditching single use coffee cups altogether and phasing out single-use cups for dine-in. A shout out to Inner Bean Coffee Van who ditched single-use entirely at the start of the year and Emu Point Cafe who champion their mug library.
Our regional WA tours are also in full swing with Esperance fast approaching at the end of the month and the South West in July.
Northern Territory:
Plastic Free NT members are a growing community of businesses who are making positive changes, with big shifts towards implementing reusables into their operations.
The program now has 5 Plastic Free Champions, including food vans, cafes and the newly certified Willing Distillery, who were instant Champions. This is an incredible result for such a young program and a sign of things to come for Territorians.