They are asking, so tell Council “YES” to going back to crockery and cutlery at events and markets.
When the single use plasticised-cardboard take-away coffee cup goes through the temperature change of being filled with the hot liquid, thousands of micro and millions of nano sized plastic molecules fracture and fragment away from the plasticised-cardboard, into your cup of coffee. Almost all plastic we ingest passes through us, though the <1% we retain accumulates primarily in the brain. Lets not ingest plastic.
We note that washable plastic cups or plates will of course still leave the problem of millions of plastic particles shattering and fragmenting from the plastic due to temperature change of the hot food or drink, and ingested. We therefore request and highly recommend the inclusion in the policy that replacement of the single use items is to be with non-plastic cups and plates, even if washable, due to the the plastic ingestion issue.
Also, Nothing-Decomposes-Plastic. Plastic may get smaller when exposed to temperature change or sunlight or abrasion, but it will not decompose and it is destroying the ecology at every scale.
So we said Yes, Council should do as they propose and stop the use of single use plasticised-cardboard food plates and drink cups in their operations and at their own or sponsored events, including at local markets on Council land.
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Council ‘Have Your Say’ link: https://www.yoursaytweed.com.au/single-use-materials-policy
Just a few clicks and not much to add.
Perhaps just say “YES, and well done Council”, it will encourage them.
Closes 4pm Wednesday 25 March
The CEC response further included the following:
Where TSC asks: “Is there anything else we should consider?” We write:
“5 Policy Objectives of the change are stated by TSC, The Caldera Environment Centre suggests that a further (6th) objective be added, ie:
TSC Objectives:
- avoid or reduce waste to landfill
- reduce pollution in waterways and natural environments in the Tweed
- increase the use of reusable alternatives
- minimise greenhouse gas emissions
- encourage further community action to avoid waste”
CEC suggested 6th objective:
“6. avoid the unwanted ingestion of micro plastics from plasticised cardboard food containers.
Because during the temperature change of holding the hot food or drink, the plastic in the cardboard food containers shatters and fragments into millions of micro and nano particles, some of which we then ingest with the food and drink, and the plastic molecules ingested accumulate primarily in our brains.
Pointing this out in the objectives will bring more attention to plastic as a destructive upsetter of The Ecology, of all organic life, at every scale, including at the level of molecular biology.
We offer the above with the intent of making a difference and that ultimately plastic will be properly regulated to protect the ecology.”
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For source references of the information above, see “Shop instead at the Caldera Environment Centre for ceramic take-away keep cups.”(link)
See Also: Caldera Environment Centre previous posts on plastic in the environment: https://calderaenvironmentcentre.org/category/plastic/
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