Page 3712 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 18 September 2018
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Unfortunately, the impacts of our excessive plastic use do not stop there. New research has suggested that it is a real possibility that we are actually breathing in plastic. This research has identified airborne microplastics that may pose some threat to our health. It seems that where we continue to consume such significant levels of plastic its harm is almost inescapable. It is time now to be looking at ways that we can avoid using plastic altogether.
Reducing single-use plastic in the ACT requires action on all fronts. It requires behavioural change from consumers, changes to practices from manufacturers and, most importantly, it requires innovation and investment from government. As consumers we find ourselves in a minefield of single-use plastics. It seems that single-use plastic covers goods on every shelf at our local grocery stores and comes along unwanted with every purchase we make. Most people consume masses of it a week, week after week, without even noticing.
I recently spoke in this chamber about an exercise I undertook to reduce my own single-use plastic consumption. I was one of two million people across the globe to participate in the plastic free July challenge this year. The challenge required more behavioural changes than I once thought. It required us to switch to a reusable keep cup, refuse plastic straws and remember to bring my own bags to the supermarket. The challenge highlighted for me that consumers have the power to make changes to their consumption patterns and, in doing so, they have the power to make a difference.
Of course, this power is limited to what is available to the consumer, and it is an unfortunate reality that there are times when consumption of single-use plastic is either made the most convenient and cheapest option or is altogether unavoidable. For many people with disability, refusing to use a plastic straw is not an option. This is because an alternative to plastic straws that meets the needs of people living with a disability is yet to be available. It is also the case that many of the cheapest items in the supermarket are covered in single-use plastic. For many, purchasing those goods that are free of such waste is not a financially viable option.
It is important that consumers actively look at ways in which they can reduce their use of single-use plastic. However, reduction of single-use plastic in the manufacturing process avoids the problem before it hits the shelves. In the ACT the government has actively taken on the role of avoiding single-use plastic and managing it when it does get used.
Just this year we introduced a container deposit scheme. While it may still be early days for the scheme, it is safe to say that the scheme has already contributed significantly to a reduction in plastic bottles in our environment. The ACT has also been a leader in the widespread move to ban single-use plastic bags. I understand that there has recently been a review into the plastic bag ban. I look forward to the insight it may provide into the public perception of the ban, as well as the impact on plastic bag use in the ACT.
These two initiatives are just the beginning of a long line of changes that the ACTÂ government may make to further reduce single-use plastic. As has been noted,
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