The Plastic Free Places (PFP) program, run by the Boomerang Alliance, is celebrating having removed more than 12.5 million single use takeaway plastic items from use, since its inception five years ago.
That includes removing plastic straws, cutlery, coffee cups, lids, water bottles and plastic containers from more than 900 participating food businesses.
Interested food outlets are inducted into the PFP network and shown how to avoid, reuse or switch to non-plastic or certified compostable packaging (Aust Standards).
Amy Matheson, Communications Coordinator, PFP, says that the program successfully proves the hospitality sector can easily switch away from using problematic takeaway plastics.
“It demonstrates that the bans being introduced on these products throughout Australia are realistic and achievable, as long as the hospitality sector is given the opportunity to switch, and misleading information (greenwash) is not circulated.”
By reducing single use plastic, we reduce the flow of dangerous plastic pollution into our waterways and ocean, and waste into landfill. The program aligns environment protection that consumers and businesses want with acceptable alternative products and practices like avoidance and reuse; and the increasing moves to ban single use plastic items.
The PFP program employs an expert coordinator in each location to work directly with cafes, other food outlets and public events to provide best practice advice on packaging alternatives.