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Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew
 Okay, let’s talk about what’s best for the kitchen bin.
Veronica Maree took this pic at Woolworths, and she's a little frustrated because of how deceiving and confusing this is for the regular shopper just trying their best to make a good decision at the checkout. Here is her great explanation: Multix have come out with a ‘greener’ bin liner option. Looks great on the outside, but let’s break this down. The top bag she's holding is labeled ‘plant based’. Okay, sounds positive right? Well, yeh that’s a positive, it also states that it’s “made from 60% plant-based material, a renewable resource from the sugarcane industry” which is indeed a great move, but if you look closely, it is also labelled as ‘degradable’. Now, degradable is not to be confused with ‘biodegradable’ because anything that is degradable will not fully break down into the soil when it ends up in landfill. Instead, it turns into tiny pieces of plastic that will never break down, continuing the micro plastics issue we currently face in our oceans. Probably not a great option. Okay the second option, same brand, being Multix, same ‘greener’ bold labelling, but here are the differences. Firstly, instead of ‘plant based’ labelling, they have it labelled as ‘compostable’. It also states that it’s ‘biodegradable’. This is where it makes ALL the difference. So compostable and biodegradable are sort of the same, but sort of not. To the average person, it would seem the same, but here are the slight differences. They both aim to break down safely into the earth, however, biodegradable is made for breaking down in landfills, and compostable is made with a specific set of requirements to break down safely in a compost. Usually the compostable bags are quicker to break down too. So if you were after a bag safe to put into your compost bin, we can understand how this could be confusing. We look closer on the back of the label and it is marked as “home compostable AS 5810 ABAP 20006” and “compostable AS 4736 ABAP 10060”. These numbers refer to the certification from the Australian Bioplastics Association. This is a good option to purchase, and they have different sizes to choose from, plus it is labelled as safe for composts too, so double great. Lastly, Veronica wanted to shed light on another brand called ‘compost-a-pak”. These were so clearly marked compostable, with zero confusing labels. This is also certified and marked on the back of the label “compostable certification number AS 4736-2006 ABAP 10019” and “home compostable certification number ABAP 20001”. It also states under the headline “made from vegetable material and plastic free. Australian certified compostable”. This is so crystal clear and easy to understand, and Veronica wants to show the stark difference in the marketing and labelling. We have seen many people putting the first option on the conveyor belt at the checkout and we know those people are just trying to make the best decision, but it’s not fair that they’re being misled. She couldn’t find other sizes in this brand besides the one, but it’s still a very good option. We hope this helps you make your decision a little easier when you go shopping next. Thank you Veronica for your great explanation! #northernbeachescleanupcrew #plastic  You can make your on produce bags from old curtains - you often find second hand thin curtains at Vinnies. Bring out the crafty side of you!
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plasticfree  People often say to us: "Why clean up Shelly Beach, it's always clean there!" Last time we cleaned up Shelly Beach (which is closest to the aquatic reserve Cabbage Tree Bay) we picked up 594 cigarette butts, 644 food wraps, 595 bits of plastic bags, 255 glass bottles, 427 lids, 74 plastic bottles, 1 couch, 3 chairs, 1 trolley, 1 garden hose, a poster from the old Manly council (it changed to Northern Beaches Council in May 2016) and an injured seagull (fishing line). Every little thing helps - plastic breaks down to smaller pieces and can be mistaken as food by both land and ocean animals. It can entangled and injure and slowly kill animals such as the bandicoots and sea turtles living in this area. Littered cigarette butts leach toxic chemicals into the environment and can contaminate water. The toxic exposure can poison fish, as well as animals who eat cigarette butts. We would like to thank all crew members and everyone else who picks up rubbish on their way 🙏
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #beachcleanup  Pesky fruit stickers!
Yes, if stuck to another piece of soft plastic, these pesky little stickers can be REDcycled. Please refrain, however, from sticking a whole bunch of these at once on one piece of soft plastic! They are more likely to fall off and just get stuck to the processing machinery. Plastic is everywhere.The best option is of course if you can support your local farmer or bulkfood store and buy fruit without stickers. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #plastic #recycle #plasticfree #stickers  We did some scouting around for litter last week and we found these in Dee Why Lagoon. How old do you think they are? Another evidence that litter doesn't "go away".
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #litter  Cigarettes are the most littered item on earth. Worldwide, about 4.5 trillion cigarettes are littered each year. Cigarettes contain more than 7,000 chemicals, such as arsenic (used to kill rats) and formaldehyde (used to preserve dead animals, and humans, too). Littered cigarette butts leach toxic chemicals into the environment and can contaminate water. The toxic exposure can poison fish, as well as animals who eat cigarette butts. Cigarette filters may look like cotton, but 98 percent of cigarette filters are made of plastic fibers (cellulose acetate) that are tightly packed together, which leads to an estimated 1.69 billion pounds of cigarette butts winding up as toxic trash each year. Cigarettes don’t break down naturally, they can gradually decompose depending on environmental conditions like the rain and sun. Estimates on the time it takes vary, but a recent study found that a cigarette butt was only about 38 percent decomposed after two years.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #cigarettes #loveManly #northernbeaches #trash #litter  This is what remains of a single-use disposable coffee cup after the cardboard degrades when it ends up in the ocean. The plastic lining can easily be mistaken as a jellyfish by a turtle and can cause intestinal blockages and results in a slow painful death through starvation.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #takeaway #coffee #plasticocean Many conservationists are raising alarm about growing ocean pollution caused by the increased waste created out of the coronavirus pandemic. With a lifespan of 450 years, these masks and gloves are an ecological timebomb given their lasting environmental consequences for our planet. A recent study in the Environment, Science & Technology journal estimates that 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves are being used each month. Regarding COVID waste, of course we must favor reusable masks and gloves. Shared from Angry Earth #northernbeachescleanupcrew #plasticfree   What's wrong with the old fashioned bar of soap? Nothing. Time to bring it back and get rid of those single use plastic soap bottles.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plasticfree We're looking forward to seeing you again as soon as restrictions ease for outdoor gatherings. We miss you! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has - Margaret Mead #northernbeachescleanupcrew #beachcleanup  There was a bush rave party up at North Head Sanctuary last Saturday. They are "secret" parties with the location revealed the same evening at 11pm. We have been in contact with several concerned local community members - (many who spent their Sunday morning volunteering cleaning up this mess) as well as our local MP James Griffin who has kindly offered to take this investigation further with National Parks and Wildlife and our local police. It is no exaggeration that we live in one of the most glorious part of the world here. North Head is one of our most treasured sacred jewels. It is our responsibility to honour and protect our beautiful sacred North Head National Park. These photos are only a blip of the extent of the damage found Sunday morning 5 July at Quarry/swamp on North Head walk (on track up from Shelly carpark that runs up to Blue Fish Drive). To those many people who helped over the hours of Sun morning to scour through vast areas of destroyed shrubs, mud and filth to clean up - THANK YOU! 🙏 🙏🙏 #northernbeachescleanupcrew #loveManly #litter #trash #northhead It's time to get rid of the shampoo bottle and replace it with a shampoo bar. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #plasticfree  Microplastics have been discovered in apples, carrots, pears, broccoli and lettuce, studies have revealed. The tiny pollutants are thought to have been sucked into plants roots with water, and then travelled up the stem into the leaves and, where possible, fruits. Scientists have argued for decades that this was 'impossible', claiming they were 'too large' to fit through the pores in the roots. Microplastics have previously been identified in meats including chicken, canned fish and shellfish. A separate study published this week found that plants containing microplastics grew smaller with shorter roots, reducing their yield and nutritional value. 'Today we're calling for an urgent investigation into what these toxins are doing to our health. Now more than ever we must listen to the scientists, not the plastic lobby.' #northernbeachescleanupcrew #plastic #microplastics |
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