There I was. A sinner. A polluter. A sea-turtle killer

I was lucky to get out alive. All restaurant chatter came to a sudden halt before the collective “whoosh” as heads flicked in my direction, and eyes fixed on me with steady condemnation. I’d asked the waiter for a straw.

Plastic is a huge pollution problem, especially for our oceans.

At first, I didn’t realise my offence. I mean, I know there’s been a major shift in consumer behaviour around plastic lately, which is a great thing. The single-use plastic bag ban that Coles and Woolworths are enacting is a win for the environment for sure. In parts of Australia that have implemented the ban already, there’s been a significant reduction in the number of plastic bags in landfill. And while some people argue that bans like this shift polluting behaviour to other areas, like an increase in the use of heavier plastic bin-liners, it most importantly marks a clear shift in public awareness and concern.

Read the comment from The Age by Aubrey Perry - “There I was. A sinner. A polluter. A sea-turtle killer.”