Wodonga Council has adopted a single-use plastic policy at the April council meeting.
The policy will encourage staff and the community to be more sustainable and to reduce their impact on our natural resources.
Single use plastics are described as plastic items used only once before being discarded, almost always to landfill.
These items include plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food packaging.
The policy will formalise council’s commitment to:
- reducing single use plastics within its operations and at civic events
- implementing responsible procurement practices
- exercising influence on supply chains; and
- improving consumer information on single use plastics
Cr Kat Bennett said the community was keen for council to adopt the policy.
“It’s great to have this finally on the table to show and demonstrate our leadership in reducing our use of single-use plastics,” she said.
“Our community was keen for us to take the lead here.”
Cr Brian Mitchell said the council must lead by example and needed to get the job done.
Cr John Watson said there were many alteratives to balloons such as flags and bunting which would make events look as colourful.
The Victorian Government banned single-use plastic bags last year. Plastic shopping bags less than 35 microns thick, including degradable, biodegradable and compostable plastic shopping bags are now banned.
Plastics represented about 10 per cent of all waste disposed of to landfill in Victoria.
