Positive news for ocean pollution as the NSW Government takes further action on its commitment to phase out single use plastics.
The NSW Government recently announced a series of new actions to reduce the impact of plastic pollution on land and ocean environments.
The actions include:
- phasing out plastic bread tags and non-compostable plastic fruit and vegetable stickers
- introducing tethered lids (meaning the cap or lid on a plastic bottle must remain attached to the bottle itself, even after it’s opened)
- phasing out small condiment containers such as soy sauce fish bottles and similar single-use packaging that cannot be recycled, in favour of recyclable options
- requiring takeaway food containers, such as plastic bowls with lids, bento boxes and sushi trays, to be redesigned to ensure they can be recycled safely
- banning lighter-than-air (helium) balloon releases.
The Sea Turtle Foundation welcomes these actions. The Chair of the Foundation Scott Machin said, “we congratulate the NSW Government on committing to these enhancements. The Sea Turtle Foundation supports all actions that reduce plastic (including microplastic) pollution in the ocean. In particular, the banning of helium balloons is very welcome as they can be consumed by sea turtles who confuse them for jellyfish. This can cause significant damage to sea turtles, including death.”
While these actions are welcome, many will take years to come into effect. The Foundation would like to see the phase-in periods shortened to bring forward the positive impact of the actions on the ocean environment.
To learn more about the NSW Government’s actions, visit the NSW EPA website article below.