For interview request, please email [email protected]

6 Dec 2021 - Plastic bans move up a gear

6 Dec 2021 - South Australia – next steps on single-use plastics ban

6 Dec 2021 - Queensland expanding single-use plastics ban

18 Nov 2021 - Industry Packaging Covenant admits failure on national targets

1 Nov 2021 - ALP Container Refund Inquiry - dangerous waste of time

22 Oct 2021 - At last! NSW moves on plastic ban

1 Oct 2021 - Big W flouts QLD Plastic Ban

18 Sep 2021 - Boag gets it wrong on Container Deposit Scheme

23 Jul 2021 - The end of plastic collectibles welcomed

15 Jun 2021 - Plastic bans forge ahead

13 Jun 2021 - NSW takes major steps on plastic and waste

30 May 2021 - NSW non-existent plastic pollution policy shame

18 May 2021 - Plastic Pact - don't get too excited. Plan B released

29 Apr 2021 - Reducing plastic pollution: election policies make headway

14 Apr 2021 - VIC Container Deposit Scheme – best choice for community, consumers and environment

12 Apr 2021 - Bans on Single Use Plastics must occur in next Tas Parliament

31 Mar 2021 - ACT becomes a leading jurisdiction to ban single use plastics

10 Mar 2021 - Queensland Bans Plastic Takeaway items

4 Mar 2021 - Commonwealth Plastic Plan will move nation forward on plastic pollution

Go to the latest Media Release >>

For interview request, please email [email protected]

9 Nov 2022 - REDcycle Collapse Exposes Packaging Industry Flaws

8 Nov 2022 - Container Refund Scheme expansion - states line up

20 Oct 2022 - Stopping Plastic Pollution: Urgent focus for Environment Ministers at first meeting

19 Oct 2022 - Single-use coffee cups on the agenda

15 Oct 2022 - Drink Container Refund expansion - an essential move

19 Aug 2022 - Queensland Container Refund Scheme under the microscope

3 Aug 2022 - NSW EPA supports disposable polluting plastics

1 Jul 2022 - Boomerang Alliance congratulates Western Australia on Plastic Bans

1 Jul 2022 - ACT acts on fake green "degradable" plastics

1 Jul 2022 - Queensland steps forward on polluting heavyweight plastics bags & coffee cups

3 Jun 2022 - Woolworths Bag Phase Out - Major Step

3 Jun 2022 - Plastic Free Places Hits 12.5 Million Pieces of Single Use Plastics Removed

1 Jun 2022 - Big Plastic and Waste Agenda for new Fed Minister

31 May 2022 - NSW Plastic Bag Ban - no dithering on next steps

26 May 2022 - New "Flushables" Standard an Important Advance

25 May 2022 - New Coles "Reusable Bags" are not Genuinely Reusable

3 May 2022 - Environment Groups Call for Mandated Targets on Plastics

29 Apr 2022 - NT Plastics and Recycling Move Up a Gear

21 Mar 2022 - All Plastic Bags in the Firing Line

3 Mar 2022 - Plastic Pollution Treaty takes a big step

24 Feb 2022 - Tas Container Refunds Bill – more delay?

21 Feb 2022 - Wine Bottlers should join Container Refund Schemes

Go to the latest Media Release >>

With the successful inclusion of wine and spirit bottles in the Qld 10c refund scheme on 1 November, industry and environment groups have joined together to call on NSW, Western Australia, Victoria, NT, ACT and South Australia to catch up.

Every day more than 15,000 single-use coffee cups are thrown away on the Mornington Peninsula (VIC) alone. Single-use takeaway packaging is only used for a few minutes before it tends to end up as litter or landfill, even when it’s compostable.

That’s why Boomerang Alliance is urging residents and visitors to the Peninsula to make the switch to reusable cups, water bottles and bags this summer.

"Simple switches have a big impact," said Birte Moliere from Plastic Free Places, a program managed by Boomerang Alliance and funded by Mornington Peninsula Shire. "The response from the community has been overwhelming with residents and visitors alike eager to support the reuse revolution."

With the support of Plastic Free Places, many Peninsula businesses have responded to community concern over litter by switching from single-use cups to reusables. A new directory of those that actively encourage and incentivise customers to use reusables is being created at www.wastewisepeninsula.org; 

"As a father of two young boys, litter-free beaches are very close to my heart," said Peninsula resident Jack. "It only takes a few simple changes to get there."

A Peninsula café owner and Plastic Free Places member said: "I don’t want the packaging that I use in my business to outlive me."

MARK YOUR DIARIES: CELEBRATE BYO CUP DAY WITH COMMONFOLK & HOME GROUND

On BYO Cup Day, local venues are celebrating the reuse revolution and aim to serve 100% of coffees in reusables.

JOIN US FOR BYO CUP DAY LAUNCH:

• FRI 08 December at COMMONFOLK Mornington – 16 Progress Street, Mornington
• SAT 09 December at HOME GROUND Mornington – 22 Robertson Drive, Mornington

DINE IN, BYO OR BORROW TO WIN: Plastic Free Places is running a competition for you to win a beautiful ceramic cup by Peninsula artist Natalie Heriot. To enter, share a photo with a reusable cup and tag @wastewisepeninsula on Facebook or Instagram or submit a photo with your cup.

BYO CUP TO SUPPORT YOUTH AT RISK.

Did you know, each single use cup costs our local venues up to 50c in packaging? When you bring your own cup to HOME GROUND in Mornington, the money saved in packaging supports youth at risk.

Whether it’s lack of public transport, inadequate training or low self belief, the challenge of finding a good job for young locals is very real. HOME GROUND bridges these gaps and provides training & employment pathways for young people at risk.

They also have a big focus on limiting their footprint and have officially joined the Plastic Free Places program with Boomerang Alliance. You can support their mission by making One.Change. When you bring your own cup to this venue the money saved in packaging goes straight back into supporting at risk youth.

Back to November 2023 Newsletter page >>

If your local café carries the environmental torch, but still uses single-use cups (let’s face it, it’s so hard for cafes to ditch the disposable cup when our societal appetite for convenience is at an all-time high), we can help them.

And we’d like YOU to let them know that.

Because cafes listen to their customers!

Our project in Sydney needs 100 cafes who want to make a difference, but don’t know where to start. We’ll work closely with them to supercharge their use of reusables, document their journey, and showcase their achievements.

It’s important because these businesses will be at the forefront of change, helping to shape future directions on single-use in NSW.

And we’d like you to tell them of this great new project. We have a variety of reusable options they can consider, and we'll help them implement these, and measure their results. We'll then promote them so they can inspire the community by what they've achieved.

All the information they (and you) need is at www.plasticfreeplaces.org/sydney-join.

Or, tag them in one of our Instagram posts @reuseprojectsydney.

Sydney – let’s go next level sustainable!

Back to November 2023 Newsletter page >>

On 1 November, Victoria became the seventh and second last State to introduce a cash for containers scheme. It means that Victorians can now claim a refund on eligible containers returned for recycling. Our campaign to have a container refund scheme in every state is almost complete.

Victoria is suffering from initial implementation problems exacerbated by having three Network Operators, offering different levels of convenience to get refunds. The over-the-counter refund points are particularly problematic. It remains to be seen how quickly these issues can be overcome.

On the same day, Queensland became the first State to accept wine and spirit bottles for a refund. This was a move supported by environment groups, retail associations, the waste industry and the beverage industry. We now look forward to other states and territories following suit.

The fact is that container deposit or refund schemes work well, so it makes sense to expand on the number of items that could be collected. Wine and spirit bottles are the first action. In the future, items such as other glass jars, larger fruit juice, plain milk, non-beverage and reusable containers could also be included. Our aim is to drive up the return rates to above 90%.

Back to November 2023 Newsletter page >>

The Plastic Free Places project started as a means to help cafes eliminate and reduce problem single use plastics. We will continue to do this. However, we also encourage cafes to switch to reusable alternatives where they could. We now want to ramp up that agenda.

We’re on a mission to make reusables the ONLY option.We’re doing some amazing things across the country to mobilise support for the reusables movement. These include:

• A video case study of RAC Arena in Perth, telling the story of their reusable cup system.
  
  
• A guide to help businesses on how to talk to their customers about reusables.
  
  
• Our first reusable community in Port Douglas (Qld). We’re setting up a reuse swap system for coffee cups between hotels and local cafes, as well as expanding the local water reuse networks. Supported by the Qld State Government and Douglas Shire Council, it’s due to launch in March.
  
  
• A big behaviour change project in the Qld Government’s Department of Environment and Science building in Brisbane to introduce a reusable system that also connects in with the local cafés to create a new reusable workplace culture. We're currently collecting all the baseline data to launch the on-ground component in February.
  
  
• A smaller scale version for the office in the Tasmanian Government’s Lands Building in Hobart.

What can you do to help?

BYO and please actively support businesses trying to do the right thing! They often tell us they feel their efforts are not noticed by their customers, though people are quick to complain. Let’s even this out and let our locals know we appreciate their efforts. It makes a difference.

See our Plastic Free Places website for more information on our projects.

Back to November 2023 Newsletter page >>

Supermarkets in Australia are a $130 billion industry and responsible for supplying the majority of household plastic packaging. The Australian Marine Conservation Society and the Boomerang Alliance have audited plastic use in our supermarkets and released a first audit on their performance.

We used publicly available data and then followed up with specific questions directly to the supermarkets. We focussed on the big three (Woolworths, Coles and ALDI) with a watching brief on Metcash (IGA/Foodland).

Based on our assessments ALDI leads the way in the Australian market, achieving the highest score in 2023. We note that all our supermarkets still have a long way to go before they are any way near world's best practice, something we think should be the goal.

A big thank you to all our citizen investigators for conducting their own surveys. The data was captured in the report. We plan for this to be an annual audit.

KEY FINDINGS

• Most supermarkets are not transparent about their plastic footprint.
  
  
• Reuse and refill systems need to be scaled up urgently, to provide consumers with cost comparative options without unnecessary plastic packaging
  
  
• Leading supermarkets are not prioritising removal of plastic, over-relying on false solutions such as 'lightweighting' - making packaging lighter to claim plastic reductions.
  
  
• Loose fresh produce is frequently more expensive than plastic-packed produce, pushing consumers towards unnecessary plastic packaging, and penalises those who try to reduce their plastic consumption in a cost-of-living crisis.
  
  
• Supplier packaging guidelines are rarely enforced, allowing suppliers to use whatever packaging option is cheapest or easiest to print marketing material onto.
  
  
• Recycling and recycled content was the worst performing area of all assessed categories. In spite of the message coming from Australian supermarkets, little real progress has been made on increasing the recycled content in plastic packaging, diminishing recycling efforts and the vision of creating a circular economy for plastics in Australia.

Back to November 2023 Newsletter page >>

The Boomerang Alliance has released its Reuse report calling for greater focus on reusable cups and containers for takeaway. In May 2023 the UN (Turning off the Tap) calculated that with reuse, plastic pollution can be slashed by 30% by 2040. The report supported refillable bottles, bulk dispensers, deposit return schemes and packaging take back.

Our report puts focus on hot beverage cups and lids and food containers used in cafes and for takeaway and examines proven systems. This is a good place to start by changing habits away from home where waste and litter is more likely.

We outlined the opportunities for reuse and the places that could make some immediate changes. These include offices, at stadiums and events, in cafes, restaurants and food courts, at supermarkets and in other 'controlled environments' such as transport services (planes, trains and ferries). The container refund schemes now active around the country should also be able to collect reusable containers as they do in Germany.

The report calls on more action by governments. Our view is that all disposable cups and food containers should be phased out. To help that transition, governments should be banning the use of disposable cups and containers for dine-in; all takeaway outlets also offering their customers reusable alternatives; and the introduction of a surcharge on all disposable items sold. The proceeds to be used to set up reuse systems.

The business sector must also play its part by changing their practices. Corporations such as Mirvac have invested in a reusable cup system for their staff. Bonza Airways offer reusable cups in-flight. We need more businesses to act.

A big question we ask is - why don't our supermarkets offer a returnable container service for delicatessen items and for delivery services? This is becoming increasingly common across Europe and the UK.

Back to November 2023 Newsletter page >>

In April 2023, Boomerang Alliance supporters in their thousands voiced their concerns about the lack of soft plastic collections following the collapse of the REDcycle scheme. Since then, the Australian Food and Grocery Council has provided more details of recovery via pilots of its evolving National Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme. It involved a few local government areas trialling the collection of soft plastics through household kerbside collection.

Households place soft plastics in a special bag that can be identified at the recycling centre so it can be sorted separately. Soft plastics and plastic film and bags can't be recovered alongside other recyclables like paper or rigid plastic containers.

So far the trial is proving successful and showing that collection at kerbside can work. The emerging scheme also requires the packaging industry to contribute to the cost of collections. This is a key principle that must be adopted under any Product Stewardship scheme.

It's urgent we resolve this as households (even those which were stockpiling) are now disposing of soft plastics in the bin. The Boomerang Alliance is calling for the scheme to be expanded nationally in 2024. This would mean any household that has a kerbside recycling collection service would also be able to discard their soft plastic wastes in their recycling bin using a dedicated bag for this purpose.

Back to November 2023 Newsletter page >>

Whilst we wait for the Commonwealth Government to release its consultation paper for the promised Product Stewardship for Packaging Scheme (scheduled to be in place by 2025), the Boomerang Alliance has challenged the packaging industry to cooperate and take full responsibility for its products and pay the full costs of product design, collection, and processing of all packaging.

EPR or product stewardship is based upon the polluter pays principle.In the case of packaging, its successful application means that those who produce the packaging and put it into the market must assume full responsibility for that packaging through its entire life cycle, including after it has been discarded by the consumer.

This means producers taking a circular economy approach involving the whole supply chain, with producers directly accountable for meeting stringent reduction, recovery and recycled content targets. The soft plastics crisis, following the collapse of REDCycle collections, was a result of an industry failing to take responsibility for its own packaging waste and government trusting a voluntary program.

The container refund schemes now active across Australia, are successful examples of a circular economy where producers (the beverage industry) are responsible for the full costs associated with the recovery of their products.

The Boomerang Alliance has released its model for a Product Stewardship scheme.

We have briefed all State and Territory Governments and called for our model to be adopted.The community has been waiting for over 25 years to solve the packaging waste crisis, it's time to get the policies and practices right.

Back to November 2023 Newsletter page >>

Supermarkets in Australia are a $130.2 billion industry, responsible for the majority of household plastic packaging. See how your supermarket ranks in the first ever independent audit of supermarket plastic use in Australia.

For too long, supermarkets in Australia have not been held accountable for the amount of plastic packaging they generate, pumping out difficult-to-recycle packaging at the expense of our environment. With no legislated mandate to curb plastic production, supermarkets have largely avoided public accountability relating to the amount of plastic on their shelves.

Supermarkets in Australia all claim to be leading the way in sustainability in Australia - but who is making the biggest difference? Find out how your supermarket ranked in our 2023 supermarket plastics audit, so you can vote with your feet.

View our audit framework and volunteer surveys.

Aldi leads the way in the Australian supermarket sector, achieving the highest score in 2023, with Coles, Woolworths, and Metcash (IGA, Foodland, and others) following.

KEY FINDINGS

• Most supermarkets are not transparent about their plastic footprint.
  
  
• Reuse and refill systems need to be scaled up urgently, to provide consumers with cost comparative options without unnecessary plastic packaging
  
  
• Leading supermarkets are not prioritising removal of plastic, over-relying on false solutions such as 'lightweighting' - making packaging lighter to claim plastic reductions.
  
  
• Loose fresh produce is frequently more expensive than plastic-packed produce, pushing consumers towards unnecessary plastic packaging, and penalises those who try to reduce their plastic consumption in a cost-of-living crisis.
  
  
• Supplier packaging guidelines are rarely enforced, allowing suppliers to use whatever packaging option is cheapest or easiest to print marketing material onto.
  
  
• Recycling and recycled content was the worst performing area of all assessed categories. In spite of the message coming from Australian supermarkets, little real progress has been made on increasing the recycled content in plastic packaging, diminishing recycling efforts and the vision of creating a circular economy for plastics in Australia.

Australians have been doing our part- recycling and picking up trash. But unless we stop plastic at the source, it is just a band aid solution and our incredible marine life will continue to suffer the consequences.

You can help keep supermarkets accountable

For the first time, Australia’s federal, state, and territory governments have come together to develop new laws on plastic packaging, thanks to pressure from Boomerang Alliance supporters like you.

Will you sign the petition supporting laws to cut plastic by 20% by 2030?

With Queensland today including glass wine and spirit bottles in their container refund scheme, other states in particular NSW and WA should quickly follow suit.

The NSW Government has released its Plastic Plan - Next Steps. The plan follows up on bans on straws, cutlery and other problem plastic items that were introduced in 2022.

SIGN THE PETITION TO CUT PLASTIC PACKAGING BY 20% AND INTRODUCE A 30% REUSABLE PACKAGING TARGET

Demand an ambitious national packaging solution to turn the tide on plastic.

Plastic is everywhere and in everything – found in our rivers, air and along our beaches; in fish, seabirds and in the food we eat.

The amount of plastic entering our oceans every year is going to triple by 2040¹ because not enough is done to cut plastic waste and pollution².

"Australia generates more single-use plastic waste per person than any other country except Singapore" - Minderoo Foundation, Plastic Wastemaker Index.

Australia's environment ministers have agreed to an ambitious packaging reform, with federal Minister Tanya Plibersek calling for a "Plastic-Pollution-Free Pacific in our lifetimes" – committing to world leading regulation in 2024.

But it won’t occur without cutting the amount of plastic we use in the first place.

TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, WE URGENTLY NEED YOUR SUPPORT. 

Will you sign the petition for a National Plastic Reduction Target? 

Alongside our partners, allies and supporters, we have developed a world leading packaging solution which we'd like to see adopted.

The new scheme will make producers reduce plastic and pay for the collection & recovery of their packaging.

¹ The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ. (2019). Breaking the Plastic Wave
² Ellen Macarthur Foundation. (2022). The Global Commitment 2022 Progress Report

Thank you for signing our petition to cut plastic packaging by 20% and introduce a 30% reusable packaging target.

STAY IN THE LOOP: Make sure you sign up to Boomerang Alliance's campaign updates for insights and more ways to take action.

Every single signature matters so please share this petition page to others who may want to sign.

https://www.boomerangalliance.org.au/petition_cut_plastic_by_20_percent_by_2030

Can you chip in to support this campaign?
Your support is critical to the success of our campaign. Your donation will help us reach new supporters and gain momentum across Australia.

Packaging producers must take full responsibility and pay for packaging waste & pollution.

The Boomerang Alliance is challenging the packaging industry to take full responsibility and pay for the costs of its waste and pollution decisions.

Ahead of the Commonwealth Government promising to introduce a Mandatory Product Stewardship Scheme for Packaging by 2025, we have released our model guidelines based on International best practice.

These include stringent Extended Producer Responsibility requirements where product manufacturers take full responsibility for their products, from the design stage through to end of life. This allows for products to be collected, recovered and reused rather than being littered or discarded in landfill.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY APPROACH

We demand a circular economy approach to packaging which involves the whole supply chain, with producers directly accountable for meeting stringent reduction, recovery and recycled content targets.

National actions required to achieve a best practice circular economy for packaging:

AUSTRALIA'S SOFT PLASTICS REFORM 

The soft plastics collection crisis, following the REDcycle collapse, is an example of an industry currently failing to take responsibility for its own packaging waste.

Given Australia’s alarmingly low national plastic packaging recycling rates (approx. 12%), major reform is urgently required and must include extended producer responsibility principles, similar to what is being applied to container refund schemes.

Container refund schemes are now active across Australia, where producers (the beverage industry) are responsible for the full costs associated with the recovery of their products and 60-80% of containers are now being collected for recycling, with some room for improvement.

In Europe, producers will have to cover the costs of collecting, transporting and treating problem plastics from 2024. The same should be happening in Australia.

10 GUIDING PRINCIPLES

We have identified 10 key principles that need to be included in Australia's mandated national product stewardship scheme.

1. Prioritising Avoidance and Reduction
2. Best Practice Eco-Design of Products
3. Mandated Standards
4. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) across Whole of Life Cycle & Supply Chain
5. Mandatory National Targets and Obligations
6. Development of Secondary Markets
7. A national scheme managed under Commonwealth legislation
8. A standardised monitoring, compliance, and enforcement regime
9. Commitment to continuous improvement
10. Consumer Education and Awareness

In addition to full producer responsibility, packaging standards must include the requirement that packaging is actually recovered in practice. The standards cover packaging that is reusable, compostable or recyclable. The current Australian Recycling Label (ARL), for example, does not require packaging to be recycled in practice, with the result that most plastic packaging goes to landfill.

• Download the full report (2.8Mb)
• Download Fact Sheet (686Kb)
• MEDIA RELEASE >> 22 Sep 23: National Packaging Solution: Producers mandated to take full responsibility for waste & pollution
• IN THE NEWS >> ABC, 17 Sep 23: Plastic packaging overhaul leaves supermarkets scrambling and customers hopeful of change

With the NSW container refund scheme (CRS), Return & Earn about to recover its 10billionth beverage container, environmental groups are calling for the state government to move on including wine, spirit and other containers in the successful recycling program.