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Environmental campaigners are petitioning the Government to take a more active stance in tackling the country’s waste crisis, with a comprehensive ban on single-use disposable plastic food and drink items, and phasing in of reusable alternatives.
The petition, launched on February 17, already has more than 1000 signatures.
Local re-use advocate Kate Gumbrell says the Hibiscus Coast is increasingly saying “no” to things like disposable coffee cups, sushi trays and single use takeaway containers.
“Local cafes like Magnolia Kitchen, Two Spoons, and Ground Control accept reusable containers as locals order their coffees, salads, and slice – Ground Control even has a ‘mug library’,” Kate says. She says the campaign will not only encourage less rubbish washed up on our beautiful coastlines, but also push more local cafes to jump on the ‘reuse bandwagon’.
Laura Cope, founder of the café guide, Use Your Own, has joined forces with Hannah Blumhardt and Liam Prince, co-founders of The Rubbish Trip, to launch the campaign, called Takeaway Throwaways.
The petition calls on the Government to introduce a mandatory phase-out of disposable food and drink items containing plastic, including degradable, biodegradable and compostable plastic, such as cups and lids, food containers, cutlery, and single-serve condiment sachets and pottles.
The petition excludes plastic straws from the proposed list of banned items because some disabled people require plastic straws to drink.
The petition also calls for the Government to mandate reusable alternatives.
Hannah says there has been some headway in this area with proposals to phase out takeaway cups and containers made of PVC and polystyrene.
“However, the scale of our waste problem demands more urgent, strategic solutions that target a wider range of products and encourage and support a reuse culture,” she says.
Laura says the changes called for in the petition would help boost and normalise the growing culture of reuse.
“We are seeing more and more cafes voluntarily jump on board with reuse systems and reusable alternatives, and customers embracing BYO cups and containers,” she says. “However, people are often confused about what to do with single-use items once they’re finished with them, which can lead to waste stream contamination. The emergence of various ‘compostables’ has increased confusion and further enabled a throwaway culture. Replacing all these products with reusables seems simply logical.”
The Takeaway Throwaways campaign encourages those who support the cause to sign the petition, but also to consider how they can influence a shift towards reusables in their own lives, workplaces, businesses and communities.
The petition is at www.takeawaythrowaways.nz
