Category: Plastic

Tell Council: “YES, do that.”

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. read more

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Caldera Report > With Every Cup of Coffee: 25,000 micron-sized and 12 million nano-sized microplastic particles!

Cardboard take away coffee cups are plasticised, because, if not, the cardboard cup would soak and fall apart when filled with liquid.

When the plasticised-cardboard of the 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. [Source: (link).]

Mostly the plastic we ingest passes through us, however, we accumulate plastic nano-particles and studies show them throughout our bodies.

The plastic nano molecules we accumulate accumulate primarily in our brains, we don’t know why, however plastic accumulates in our bodies mostly in our brain, Plastic accumulates in the brain at ~10 times higher levels than in the liver or kidneys (91% vs. 4% and 4% of total plastic mass in these organs). [Source: (link).] read more

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We Are All Ingesting Plastic

Plastic does not decompose back to its original naturally occurring elements. The plastic existing today, if exposed to sunlight, temperature change or abrasion, will degrade into smaller particles, though those particles will still exist, hundreds of thousands to millions of years from now.

The CEC note the growing awareness of the public to the issue of our unwanted ingestion of these plastic molecules, and the retention of these molecules in our bodies.

Bioaccumulation of microplastics in human brains.

25,000 micron-sized microplastic particles released from disposable paper cup into 100ml hot drink, 21 million sub micron particles [!].

Microplastic flakes found in ‘almost all’ bottles of mineral water on sale.  read more

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TSC October Monthly Meeting, agenda item: Roadside Plastic Litter Pick-Up Pre-Mowing: Admin Staff are Against [ !! ]

At the next Tweed Council Monthly public access meeting is a plastics issue, namely mowing it smaller vs picking it up first.

Plastic does not decompose, it may degrade into smaller pieces when exposed to sunlight or temperature change but it will always remain. We either pick it up or live with it as forever litter’. Should Council pick it up or leave it lying around forever?

If it’s on the roadside, is mowing it smaller and smaller the best solution? Council Administration Staff seem to think so.

Plastic is a forever molecule, the plastic today will still be here in 500 million years. Plastic does not decompose back to natural elements. It may degrade, if it is exposed to sunlight, temperature change, or abrasion, though that is it just getting smaller, it will NEVER go away, it will never decompose back to its natural elements. read more

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TSC Notice of Motion: Cr Firth – Accessing Soft Plastic Recycling

Councillor Nola Firth has submitted to Council the following Notice of Motion:

In Tweed shire we are currently collectively dumping 320 tons of soft plastic into landfill per year. There is considerable community concern on this issue. Single use soft plastic is recognised as a serious waste of our precious finite resources and as a killer of wildlife on land and in our rivers and seas. This is of particular concern in our biodiverse shire where we have the most threatened species in Australia.
Federal regulation is urgently needed to address this situation. The report (also on this agenda) on soft plastics recycling indicates the difficulty we as a regional council have in accessing soft plastics recycling. Even within cities it is not yet available for everyone. The primary cause is lack of created demand for recycled plastic despite its problematic plenitude and the willingness of community to recycle it. There is an urgent need for government action to achieve mandatory industry change, recycling support and community education.

Councillor Firth moves that Council write to the Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, the Minister for the Environment (NSW), Minister for Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (NSW), local state members, local federal member, the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation and Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia: read more

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World Environment Day Festival Success, with Expert Speakers, Live Music and Community Action, Well Done to all concerned!


The festival on 13 July celebrated biodiversity and climate solutions in the Northern Rivers.

The World Environment Day Festival returned to Murwillumbah on Sunday 13 July, bringing together the community for a day of environmental education, live music, and collective action from 10am to 3:30pm.

Hosted by Tweed Landcare and the Caldera Environment Centre, this year’s free festival shone a spotlight on the region’s unique biodiversity while promoting practical solutions to climate and conservation challenges facing the Northern Rivers.

The event was MC’d by Community Advocate and Organiser Chels Hood Withey, with an impressive lineup of expert speakers addressing critical environmental issues.
read more

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Plastic Reinforced Paper Tea Bags: We are ingesting millions of nano particles of plastic per cup of tea

We are all becoming more aware of unwanted ingestion of plastic molecules and the retention of these molecules in our bodies.

The paper of many popular brand tea bags are strengthened with plastic because otherwise the paper tea bag would fall apart in the hot water.

When a plastic strengthened tea bag goes through the temperature change of being immersed the hot water when making a cup of tea, thousands of micro and millions of nano sized plastic molecules fracture and fragment away from the plastic of the plastic strengthened paper tea bag into your cup of tea. [Source: (link).]

The plastic nano molecules we ingest accumulate in our brains, we don’t know why, however plastic accumulates in our bodies mostly in our brain, Plastic accumulates in the brain at ~10 times higher levels than in the liver or kidneys (91% vs. 4% and 4% of total plastic mass in these organs), at a rate of millions of nano particles of plastic ingested per cup of tea. [Source: (link).] read more

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ReUse: $4 Refill Tablet for household cleaning spray containers, at the CEC.

Plastic production reduction – don’t buy a new plastic spray bottle of cleaner each time, instead use an empty plastic spray bottle or get a glass spray bottle from us, then add the refill tablet, and then add water.

The refill tablets are available at the Caldera Environment Centre, $4 each.

“The tablets are 100% natural. Made with essential oils and plant-based ingredients.”

“Easy to use, Lovely Scents, Effective Cleaning, Safe for sensitive kids”

Not dwelling on the subject here, but plastic spray bottle production and disposal is a literal ecological nightmare for the very near future. You want it all to change, but it won’t.

However, for your own mental health, refill your empty spray bottle with a refill tablet and add water. read more

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Dear Tweed Shire Councillor, et al.

We reproduce below a recent CEC correspondence to the Tweed Shire Councillors regarding an upcoming agenda item to do with in our opinion not only issues of disposal, but also with our ingestion of micro and nano plastic molecules emitting from plastic in the environment.

Dear Councillor <name>.

Wednesday’s public access Council Meeting has an item on the agenda to do with plastic in the environment, namely the plastic lawn of a leisure facility and the Council’s Strategic Plan for Holiday Parks.

We would like to draw your attention to our webpage about the agenda item, and to some of the other posts to do with plastic in the environment.

As well as the more obvious issue of disposal, We Are All Ingesting Plastic.  read more

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Tweed Shire Council > Strategic Plan for Holiday Parks > Concerns about Plastics In The Environment.

Note that the Tweed Council 15th May Monthly Meeting Agenda Items includes: “Synthetic Grass in Tweed Holiday Parks”, submitted to the meeting by the Director of Sustainable Communities and Environment.

The agenda item reads:

“At the Ordinary Meeting held 18 July 2024, Council resolved to endorse the Tweed Holiday Parks 2023 -2034 Strategic Plan. Within this resolution, Council required the General Manager to finalise and bring back a report on potential risks associated with the use of synthetic grass in Holiday Parks, alternatives to its use and a detailed asset management plan to best manage the use of synthetic grass in the Holiday Parks to mitigate the risk of microplastic and Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution and to ensure recycling at the end of life of the product. read more

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CEC Movie Club – ‘ALBATROSS, A Love Story’

A highlight of the movie is the slow motion footage of the albatross mating ritual, turning a chaotic cacophonous flurry into an elegant and choreographed mating dance.

Also, the National Parks guide pushes away the grass growing through the nests, revealing the skeletal remains of the chick in the nest, the small pile of plastic in its stomach reveals the cause of death, nest after nest.

The movie ALBATROSS, a film by Chris Jordan.

“… a poetic guided tour into the depths of your own spirit.

… a message of life and love for nature.

… a visual journey into the heart of an astonishingly symbolic environmental tragedy.

The Midway Atoll is home to the largest albatross colony in the world. More than 1.5 million of these birds make their home there, thousands of kilometers away from any continent. A protected wildlife refuge since 1988, Midway ought to be an incredibly pristine, beautiful, natural sanctuary for these birds. Yet, like all creatures, they have to navigate today’s world. read more

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The Literal End of the Shearwater Ocean Birds because Plastic

This the end of the Shearwater ocean bird species, et al, in our lifetimes, because plastic.

ABC News have reported on the Shearwater birds nesting on Lord Howe Island feeding their chicks in their nests with plastic which they mistake for food, so much so that 20% of the chick’s bodyweight is plastic, and one can feel the plastic in their stomachs. Such is the killing effect of plastic in the environment.

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“If this, …



“If this ocean bird of this species, … then every ocean bird of this species.”

“If this ocean bird species, … then every ocean bird species.” ect.

A one minute duration information unit about the Collapse of the Ocean Ecology because plastic in the environment.

“If this, … ” is an awardee of The Caldera Environment Centre ‘Ecological Arts For Information’ Merit Award.

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Tweed Shire Council to report on possible adoption of Single Use Plastics and Materials Policy

Motion to TS Council Meeting, Dec 24, by Councillor Nola Firth (Greens):

“That Council bring back a report on issues involved in adopting a Single Use Plastics and Materials Policy similar to the one that was recently implemented by Byron Shire Council.”

“The (neighbouring) Byron Shire has recently implemented a strong Single Use Plastics and Materials Policy that addresses single -use items on Council owned land or buildings. The policy includes single use items such as plates, food containers, cutlery, bottled water, drink ware (including coffee cups and lids), masks (excluding P2, P3), individually wrapped food items such as soy sauce, tea bags, coffee pods and chocolates. A ban on these single use products applies to all council-run activities and in 6 months time it will apply to all activities held on council land including leases and sponsored events.  read more

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The CEC ‘Ecological Arts Merit Award’ and “If this, …”

The inaugural Caldera Environment Centre ‘Ecological Arts Merit Award’ has been awarded to the 1 minute duration video information unit: “If this, ….”.

“If this, … ” is an awardee of The Caldera Environment Centre ‘Ecological Arts Merit Award’.

The Caldera Environment Centre.

.

.

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‘A Plastic Ocean’ screening in M’bah 29 April

Don’t miss this award-winning film that Sir David Attenborough calls ‘The most important film of our time’, which focuses on the impact of plastic in our oceans, marine life and our own health.

To reserve your tickets, please visit the Demand Film Event Page here: https://tickets.demand.film/event/1601. Unlike a traditional movie showing, my Demand Film screening requires that 50 more tickets be reserved in the next 39 days for the screening to go ahead.

We have a full evening of entertainment in store, including ocean-inspired art installations, music and luscious locally made morsels courtesy of JuJus and New Leaf. Drinks, including Stone & Wood ales, will also be available for purchase and we have some amazing sponsor-donated prizes to win.

The film will be followed by a Q&A discussion with Tarra Martel, Environmental Education Officer, Tweed Shire Council; Jeanie McKillop, Coordinator North East Waste, Tania Potts Co-founder Boomerang Bags. This is your opportunity to find out about exciting waste initiatives like the introduction of compost bins in July, the Container Deposit Scheme, due in December and to find out more about Boomerang Bags and learn about what can and can’t be recycled in Tweed Shire.

We need your support to make sure this event happens and to make sure this important film is seen. We’d love to see you in the audience, and we’d really appreciate your help in spreading the word among your friends and networks. Thanks for all your support!

Date:  Saturday April 29th
Where:  The Regent Cinema, Murwillumbah
Time:  Drinks and nibbles 6-6.45pm
Film screening:  6.45- 8.30pm
Q&A panel:  8.45-9.45PM

Huge thanks to The Regent Cinema, our speakers, artists, volunteers, Marg Walker, Maya Sapir, Michele Bevis for their contributions. This event would not be possible without the amazing support of our sponsors:

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