Community
27 April, 2022
Local businesses to embrace plastic free future
Businesses in Cassowary Coast Region, can take up the challenge to ditch single-use plastic with the help of the Plastic Free Places online consultation program.
Cassowary Coast Regional Council is thrilled to sponsor ten online consult sessions, giving 10 local businesses the opportunity to get free tailored advice, ensuring they can both meet and beat the Queensland single-use plastics ban.
Single-use plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls and expanded polystyrene (foam) containers & cups were banned in September last year, with additional bans on the near horizon.
“I’m sure that there are many business owners who want to start making changes, but simply don’t have the time to do all their own research.
That’s why we’re thrilled to be supporting this program” said Councillor Teresa Millwood, Waste Management and Innovation portfolio holder.
Plastic Free Places is a nation-wide program run by the Boomerang Alliance, Australia’s peak not-for-profit waste organisation. Already they’ve assisted over 750 businesses to eliminate 10 million pieces of single-use plastic since launching the program in 2017. This year they’ve extended the program by launching an online-consult version of the program, assisting businesses in even more communities.
“Here in Queensland we currently run successful onground programs in Cairns, Port Douglas, Townsville, Rockhampton & Livingstone and previously in Noosa, so we’re thrilled our online consults can extend that opportunity to more communities like the Cassowary Coast Regional Council region,” said Kellie Lindsay, Plastic Free Places Program Manager.
“Our program is designed to make it easy for local food retailers to switch away from using single-use plastic,” said Ms Lindsay.
“We work directly with businesses, look at what they’re using and show them what alternatives are available to them, and give them tips to reduce ongoing packaging costs.”
Businesses that are interested in participating in a one-off free 45 minute online consult are encouraged to register at http://www.plasticfreeplaces.org/consult using Council’s Code CASSCOAST22.
