All single-use plastics should be banned by 2023 Senate inquiry recommends

A Senate inquiry into Australia’s recycling crisis has recommended that all single-use plastics – which could potentially include takeaway containers, chip packets and coffee cups with plastic linings – be banned by 2023.

All single-use plastic should be banned by 2023 - Senate inquiry.

The wide-ranging report also recommends the establishment of a national container deposit scheme as a response to an unfolding crisis in Australian recycling that forced some councils to tip their recycling into landfill.

The report sets out a blueprint to create a “circular economy” – where all materials used in Australia are then recovered and reused domestically. 

Read the story by Naaman Zhou from The Guardian - “All single-use plastics should be banned by 2023 Senate inquiry recommends.”

Coffee cup recycler combats 'busy' culture

It seems Australians are too busy to sit down and have a coffee these days and the "throwaway" culture means millions of coffee cups are piling up in landfill and damaging the environment.

Using takeaway coffee cups is a bad habit.

But an Australian recycling company claims to have the solution - if you're not too busy to help.

Rob Pascoe, founder of Simply Cups, says the number of disposable coffee cups being used is growing steadily alongside the coffee culture and a prevailing feeling of "being busy all the time”.

"We've become so fast-paced, so busy and so reliant on convenience that we've become a throwaway society," he told AAP.

Read the story from goodfood from The Age by Benita Kolovos - “Coffee cup recycler combats 'busy' culture.”

Rise of the eco-cup enterprises as war on waste steps up

When Simon Karlik saw rubbish bins overflowing with water bottles, coffee cups and takeaway food containers, he thought the amount of waste was “just insane”.

The backlash against takeaway coffee cups is growing.

“I thought, can’t we go back to, in my terms, grandma's day, where you didn't rely on this very lazy option of just using something once and throwing it away,” says Karlik.

That prompted Karlik to start Cheeki, the Sydney-based company which makes vacuum-insulated stainless steel coffee cups you can carry to your cafe.

Today, his company, which produces a range of eco-friendly food and drink containers, turns over between $3 million to $4 million.

Read Christine D’Mello’s story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “Rise of the eco-cup enterprises as war on waste steps up.”

War on waste: readers share their top tips for reducing their environmental footprint

It’s the show that’s captured our imaginations. The ABC’s recent TV series War on Waste, presented by The Chaser’s Craig Reucassel, has inspired Australians to tackle overconsumption and waste in their daily lives by recycling soft plastics, switching to reusable coffee cups and composting food scraps.

Craig Reucassel and Robyn, one of the residents
featured in the TV series War on Waste.

These were the quick fixes, but we knew there was more we could all be doing. So we asked readers to share their tips.

We got a flood of responses, including advice on using reusable mesh produce bags for fruit and vegetables, setting up a worm farm on apartment balconies, visiting charity shops for clothing and other goods, ditching coffee pods entirely and generally consuming less.

And then there were those who knew how to take it to the next level. So here are our favourite tips for recycling and reducing waste:

Read Alexandra Spring’s story on The Guardian - “War on waste: readers share their top tips for reducing their environmental footprint.”

The endangered elephant in the energy room

We are in the middle of a cappuccino-led transformation.

Australia's Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel.

The ABC's War on Waste program has recently drawn Australians' attention to the fact that disposable coffee cups are not recyclable. And that one billion of the things go to landfill and litter each year.

So, appropriately horrified, environmentally-conscious coffee drinkers are doing something about it.

I've noticed a change in the lineup at the coffee stall near my office in recent weeks. The people who bring their own brightly coloured, plastic cups are starting to outnumber those who stump for the evil, non-recyclable paper kind. Earlier this month, KeepCup - a company that sells reusable coffee cups – was reporting a 400 per cent increase in online sales.

Read Judith Ireland’s comment in today’s Melbourne Age - “The endangered elephant in the energy room.”