​No words...

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream have announced plans to ditch plastic straws and spoons in their 600+ Scoop Shops by April 2019! The move will prevent 2.5million plastic straws, and 30 million plastic spoons from being used.
The company also plans to phase out clear plastic cups, plastic-lined cups and plastic lids by the end of 2020. Biodegradable and compostable options are being explored to replace the polyethylene that lines Ben & Jerry's ice cream tubs to create a moisture barrier. Ben & Jerry's in Manly has already got the wooden spoons. 👍

Everything that goes up, goes down.

Reason why you should ALWAYS dispose of your rubbish the proper way!
This poor magpie got a plastic ring caught around its beak and would've died if it hadn't been picked up by the good people at Pelican and Seabird Rescue Inc.
"This sub adult magpie would never had managed to get this ring off its head due to the severe serrations which took some feathers as souvenirs when removed."
The bird was released back into the wild.

Sales of some vegetables have soared by up to 300 per cent following moves by a number of New Zealand supermarkets to ditch plastic packaging.
A group of New World supermarkets have abandoned the use of plastic wrapping for virtually all of their fruit and vegetables in a project labelled 'food in the nude'. Pioneered by the New World store at Bishopdale in Christchurch, it has led to stunning sales figures.
"When we first set up the new shelving our customers were blown away," he says. "It reminded me of when I was a kid going to the fruiterer with my Dad, you could smell the fresh citrus and spring onions. By wrapping products in plastic we sanitise and deprive people of this experience; it (dispensing with plastic) was a huge driver for us."
Of the 300 million tons of plastic produced worldwide every year, half is used just once and thrown away, while only nine per cent is recycled. In New Zealand about 252,000 tonnes of plastic waste goes into landfill each year, a significant amount also ending up in our waterways and ultimately the sea.
#plasticfree #northernbeachescleanupcrew #positive

Standard square tea bags – used for teas such as Earl Grey, English breakfast and green tea – are "heat sealed", meaning that a thin film of polypropylene is applied to seal the two sides together. Their "string and tag with sachet" range also contains polypropylene and a small amount of acrylic copolymer emulsion, a plastic-based glue that bonds the bags together.
The way tea bags are manufactured varies depending on the brand but about 70 to 80 per cent of bags are made from compostable paper while the remaining 20 to 30 per cent contains heat-resistant polypropylene. This is to prevent the bag breaking mid-dunk, but it does mean that small pieces of plastic mesh are left behind in the soil when you compost the bags.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plastic #tea

This is the challenge we all should really worry about. Plastic is "everywhere". Did you know that 12 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year. That equals a fully loaded garbage truck emptying their rubbish in the ocean every minute all year around. We can recycle and put it in bins but what we really need to do is to reduce our plastic footprint - there is no "out" on this planet. When you take the rubbish "out" you just move it to a different spot - either to a dump or sometimes it goes to the atmosphere when it's being burnt. The rubbish you take out - it's still on this planet in one form or another. Say no to single use plastic items such as plastic straws, plastic bags, takeaway coffees and the small plastic soy fish containers you get from sushi places. The positive change for this planet starts with you 👍
#10yearschallenge #northernbeachescleanupcrew

What have you done in ten years to have less plastic in your bathroom?

When was the last time you were given something for free?
It may have been a gift with purchase, a deal sweetener, or an added bonus at no extra charge. You may not even be aware of it, but I can almost guarantee you’ve received at least one free item in the past 12 months. I know I have. And aside from adding to our collection of Things We Didn’t Want or Need, what is the purpose of these freebies? They are designed to get us to buy or do something.
More specifically, these giveaways are designed to make us feel as though we’ve come out winning.
How often do you gratefully accept these freebies, only to toss them out months later because, strangely enough, it wasn’t what you were buying in the first place and, shockingly, you have no use for it? Maybe you’ve seen these free offers before. Maybe you even have a few of them floating around your home. Maybe even more than a few:
Beer glasses, Key rings, Pens, Drink bottles, T-shirts, Hats, Caps and Tote bags.
You’ve probably been handed these free items at the checkout or when turning up to events.
So, what’s the harm?
The truth is, these items are not free.
There are, of course, the resources used in their production, money spent on the marketing campaigns and wages to pay those who sell the actual products you’re buying. But there is also a major cost to you. Sure, you paid no (extra) money for it and you may even make use of it. But did you need it in the first place? Was it necessary? Or is it simply contributing to the clutter that stresses you out?
At some point you will have to pick it up and decide where to store it or how to rid yourself of it. And to be honest, I think your time is more important than that. Your well-being is more important than that. The status quo will not change and marketing campaigns will continue to include these freebies, unless we start sending the message that, “No, we don’t want this.” So next time you’re offered something for free, try saying no - for the wellbeing of this planet and yourself.

Do you bring your own cup?

What you do makes a difference.

Please SHARE this post to increase awareness. Once again a plastic ring injures a bird. Cut every solid plastic ring you come across. ‘Rescue’ plastic you see on roads and river foreshores and beaches before it kills a bird. And think about ‘adopting’ a special piece of river or beach or wetland that you enjoy visiting, gather a few friends or workmates and help to keep it clean. Thank you to Michael from QEII for the photo and assistance in rescuing this bird. The bird was entangled for only 24 hrs or so and they managed to rescue it and remove the soft plastic ring that was preventing it from feeding. A simple plastic ring can kill a bird through slow starvation.