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A Plastic Free Places program run in partnership between the Queensland Government and the Boomerang Alliance is expanding to the state’s south-east as well as hotels and tourism venues.

The program which has helped cafes and restaurants in regional Queensland eliminate more than 8.2 million pieces of single-use plastics will be rolled out to hospitality sites in Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay and the Redlands and accommodation providers in the regions the program is in place.

The program helps businesses phase out single-use plastics, which currently account for more than 75% of rubbish removed from Australian beaches.

It does this by helping businesses engage environmentally-friendly suppliers, providing on-the-ground support, data collection and breaking down barriers that business owners might face.

With more than 600 regional Queensland businesses successfully taking part in the program, the Minister also announced the program would expand this year to the Wide Bay and Mackay/Isaac/Whitsunday regions.

Additionally, the $1.6 million Plastic Free Places program will also reach out to hotel and tourism providers to help them come up with ways to get rid of single-use plastics in their venues, including shampoo and conditioner bottles.

It builds on the Queensland Government’s five-year roadmap to phase out a number of single-use plastics across the state, recent bans on single-use plastic straws and bags as well as its $1.1 billion Recycling and Jobs Fund to drive recycling and remanufacturing in the sunshine state.

QLD Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon notes “more than 600 Queensland businesses across Noosa, Central Queensland, Townsville and the Far North have proven that eliminating single-use plastics can be done.

“We know the harm these types of plastic can cause – we’ve seen plastic bags in Sunshine Coast waterways 30-40-years-old.

“Some businesses might already have measures in place, some might not. This free program is about helping business owners either get started or take it to the next level.

“The majority of Queenslanders [7 out of 10] are already taking steps to cut out single-use plastics, and together with many business owners they want to see it cut out from the places they dine, shop and stay at too.”

Boomerang Alliance Campaign Manager Toby Hutcheon adds “In the past four years the Plastic Free Project has proved that establishing good working relationships with café businesses and their suppliers, and providing helpful advice on packaging, they can eliminate problem plastics from use.

“Our data proves the point. We have engaged with 600 cafes in Noosa, Cairns, Townsville, and Central QLD and helped them eliminate or replace over 8 million single use plastic items.

“This expansion means that the project can be active across South-East Queensland and help local businesses in the way that we have achieved in other regions of the state.

“A new innovation will be a focus on reusable food ware and BYO coffee cups. Hotels and cafes can play a big part in helping Queenslanders make the switch away from disposable packaging.

“The Plastic Free Places program started in Queensland and is now active in every State across Australia.”

Fast facts:

• About 300 million tonnes of plastic waste is produced every year, almost equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.
• Around 800 species worldwide, including 77 Australian species, are impacted by marine debris.
• Over 75% of rubbish that is removed from Australian beaches is made of plastic.
• Half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once—and then thrown away.
• Less than one-fifth of all plastic is recycled globally.
• At least 8 million tonnes of plastics leak into the ocean each year—which is equivalent to dumping more than 170 wheelie bins of plastic into the ocean every minute.
• Research has shown that 7 in 10 Queenslanders are taking steps to reduce their consumption of single-use plastics when away from home.
• Turtles have a 20% chance of dying if they ingest just one piece of plastic, and over 70% of loggerhead turtles found dead in Queensland waters have ingested plastic.
• More than 85% of contamination in the Great Barrier Reef is from microfibres.
• Plastic in the marine environment is long-lived—for example, a 30–40 year old plastic bag was found in a Sunshine Coast waterway.

Learn more about Plastic Free Places and the Boomerang Alliance 

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