Page 4575 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 31 October 2018
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proposed in the motion, including a plastic-free festival. I look forward to seeing that take place.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Advanced Technology and Space Industries) (4.06): I support Ms Orr’s motion regarding the use of single-use plastics. Single-use plastic comes at a high cost to the community and the environment, and there are viable alternatives that provide better outcomes. The ACT government is focused on the re-use and reduction of plastics through varied programs and campaigns available for the community and businesses.
Over 1,000 businesses across the ACT and Queanbeyan participate in the Actsmart business recycling program which provides free advice, education and signage to assist with reducing waste and increase recycling. With dedicated support from the Actsmart team, accredited businesses have all achieved reductions in waste to landfill, some of over 90 per cent. The program also encourages businesses to look at additional initiatives they can undertake to reduce their waste, including single-use plastics.
With this in mind we introduced the Actsmart straws suck campaign in June this year. The campaign encourages Canberra businesses and patrons to rethink their use of single-use plastic straws and reduce the ACT’s contribution to the estimated 10 million plastic straws used in Australia every day. Currently 33 businesses have signed up to the campaign, and community members can sign up to this pledge as part of the Actsmart online carbon challenge. We understand that straws make up a small percentage of the plastic waste problem. However, this campaign opens the opportunity for a conversation about all single-use plastic waste with community members and local businesses.
This year the Association of Independent Festivals representing more than 60 independent British festivals launched the drastic on plastic campaign. Each participating event has committed to a three-year plan to eliminate all single-use plastic on site by 2021.
I thank Ms Orr for bringing this initiative to the attention of the Assembly, and for your efforts to help us reduce plastics in the community. Reducing waste in our community is not a choice between the environment and the economy; on the contrary, diverting waste from landfill helps create jobs while building a more sustainable economy.
Companies have already taken up the sustainability challenge, and I understand this is good for both business and the environment. To this end, I hope event organisers and businesses who take part in such events can join in helping reduce plastic at events and improve environmental outcomes. The ACT government has a highly successful public event program that assists event organisers to implement recycling facilities within an event. The Actsmart public event program works with vendors to support them in making greener choices with the packaging they provide to visitors to their event.
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