Want to know more about what you can do?
Start change with the power you have:
Full interview can be found here:
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2SQNCn9
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2YCCejQ
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/googlewcwd
Anchor: http://bit.ly/2KTPLfp
"Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew" was founded to solve an immediate litter problem on the local beaches in Sydney. 5 years on, Malin from Kobie and the Crew are leading the campaign against single-use plastic in their communities and neighbourhoods. Thank you to @whatcanwedo.podcast for the interview.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plastic #beachcleanup

Do you maybe knows someone who could be our local Carter?
Carter wanted to close the food waste loop in his community, so he started collecting food scraps on his bicycle to create compost!
Eight years later and his initiative has turned into a successful business that diverts food waste from landfills, creates healthy soil, and strengthens the bond of his community. Once the compost is mature, members of the program can receive a full five gallon bucket of compost which closes the loop of waste-- their food scraps turn into healthy soil which will nourish their gardens. Carter’s brother has even started selling the worms so that community members can compost at home. Learn more at carterscompost.com.
Share if you want a bicycle-powered community compost program in your community!
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #compost #community

McGill University chemical engineering professor Nathalie Tufenkji decided to test tea bags after she was given one in a Montreal cafe that looked like it was made from plastic.
She asked her graduate student Laura Hernandez to purchase several tea bag brands from Montreal stores. The scientists then tested them to see if they left any plastic particles behind. The results, published in Environmental Science and Technology Wednesday, far surpassed the researchers' expectations.
"We were shocked when we saw billions of particles in a single cup of tea," Tufenkji told CBC News. In total, the researchers found that steeping a plastic tea bag at 95 degrees Celsius released around 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into a single cup. That's much more than other foods and beverages commonly contaminated with plastics, Tufenkji told New Scientist. "We think that it is a lot when compared to other foods that contain microplastics," she said. "Table salt, which has a relatively high microplastic content, has been reported to contain approximately 0.005 micrograms plastic per gram salt. A cup of tea contains thousands of times greater mass of plastic, at 16 micrograms per cup."
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plastic #tea

​WOOD PALLET PLANT SHELF - What repurposing things have you done?
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #repurposing

Local legend Sarah has created a kids party kit to try to cut down on the disposable elements of children’s parties. The kit contains:
16 dinner plates
16 cake plates
16 sets of cutlery
16 tumblers
1 large melamine bowl
1 ceramic cake stand
1 bamboo/ceramic dip/snack serving set
1 white cotton tablecloth
1 rainbow fabric table runner
3 coloured tea light holders
Tea light candles
Birthday badge
She asks for a $20 deposit when you collect it and you can choose to donate any amount, if you wish, to the upkeep of the box. If you have a kids party coming up please email her at sarah.peachman1@gmail.com to arrange collection.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plasticfree

Hobart is set to say goodbye to single-use plastics, after the council voted to enforce its ban on non-compostable food packaging from next year, becoming the first city in Australia to do so. The Hobart City Council's ban tackles non-compostable takeaway food packaging, which according to the Environment Protection Authority Tasmania, makes up about 50 per cent of the city's rubbish.
It was estimated that the ban would take 10 million bits of single-use plastic out of the waste stream and litter stream every year in Hobart. The ban includes, but is not limited to, tubs and lids, cups and cup lids, utensils, including cutlery, stirrers and straws, sachets and packets. Yes, even the soy sauce fish is on its way out.
It does not, however, mean the end of containers, straws or utensils, all of these can be substituted with compostable packaging.
While it's not considered to be the ultimate solution to litter, compostable packaging is able to break down in the environment, particularly when disposed of properly. Council research found that about a third of Hobart's 300 businesses were already using some form of compostable packaging, and the hope, said Cr Harvey, was that this by-law would nudge the rest to make the change.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plasticfree

A huge thank you to everyone who contacted Woolworths on the Corso in Manly today in regards to them having balloons as part of their opening celebration. Also, thank you to Woolworths for listening to the Manly community.
Balloons land in the ocean and choke sea turtles, kill dolphins and whales, and the ribbons entangle birds. Many times, they end up on a beach as litter. Even the ones marked "biodegradable" can hurt animals before they have a chance to break down.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #balloons

Woolworths shoppers will be able to reduce waste by bringing their own containers to take home seafood, meat, and deli items. The company has revealed it is planning to trial an option for customers to provide their own packaging to cut back on disposable plastic.
The food retailer now plans to ask its staff to clean supplied containers before customers are given their orders, the Herald Sun reports.
Swab tests are being conducted to check the efficiency of the cleaning procedures.
Woolworths said they hope to get the trial 'up and running soon' and that they are working with local councils to ensure the 'proposed processes meet or exceed their regulations'.
Woolworths government relations manager Paul Crossley said the 'biggest challenge' would be preventing customers from overcharging because of the container's additional weight. He also said the company wanted to guarantee the system would comply with health and safety laws before it is rolled out.
A Woolworths spokesman said they are 'always looking for ways to run our stores more sustainably'. 'We understand the growing concerns from many of our customers about reducing plastics in our stores and we’re working hard to do just that,' a statement on their website reads. 'Our plan to tackle the plastic problem is focused on eliminating plastic where possible and to work towards ‘closing the loop’ by encouraging recycling through design, technology and clear communication to our customers'.
They have also partnered global zero-waste shopping provider Loop which sells products such as juice, ice cream and shampoo in reusable containers.
From 2021, shoppers will be able to purchase items in environmentally-friendly packaging which is delivered to their door, then picked up once it is empty to be cleaned and reused.
Woolworths has reduced plastic packaging of fruit and vegetables by 500 tonnes over two years. The change follows the supermarket giant's ban on single-use plastic bags in June 2018. Six months later they stopped selling plastic straws in their stores.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plasticfree