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.
“In Tweed we have a zero waste strategy, commitment to a circular economy and the added responsibility of World Heritage environment. Our Zero Waste Policy has a key guiding principle to ‘lead by example and embed a local circular economy.
“But we don’t, as yet, have a Single Use Plastics and Materials Policy.
“The National Waste Policy Action Plan and the NSW Waste and Sustainable Material Strategy call for action on this at all government levels. Despite the resulting littering, resource waste and environmental damage, production of such products is still on the increase. There’s been a global increase since 2019 of a kilogram of plastic per person and about 50% of that is single use. The NSW EPA notes that NSW alone generates 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year and only 12% of it is recycled. Plastic and other single use products waste precious resources, litter our bushland, our rivers and our seas and cause immense and often cruel damage to our already endangered wildlife.
“A circular economy involves us valuing our resources and designing for reuse, repair and recycle. This motion aims to doing help us do that right here in the Tweed and to thereby move towards a unified regional approach on the issue.”
The above motion passed by unanimous vote of the Councillors and we await the report.