Welcome to Plastic Free July.
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During July we are asked to be especially aware of our daily use of plastic and the impact it has on our local waste stream and the environment.
Someone who has successfully focused on reducing her consumption of plastic to practically zero is Kate Willoughby, who is a passionate advocate for the use of products that are alternatives to plastic.
Ms Willoughby is a member of the Environmental Sustainability Council Committee, the Convenor of the Waste to Art project and the owner of Orange ECO, an organisation that specialises in products that are alternatives to plastic.
"Alternatives to plastic are increasingly more convenient to access and are typically longer lasting and better quality than their single use counterparts," Ms Willoughby said.
"The excuse not to be part of the solution due to convenience, economy, or access is happily becoming socially unacceptable.
"Once our eyes have been opened to the environmental consequences of single use plastic, our choice to turn a blind eye to the part we play becomes a conscious choice to degrade the standard of living for future generations."
The excuse not to be part of the solution ... is happily becoming socially unacceptable.
- Kate Willoughby
For those of us who are not as advanced on our journey to be plastic free, we can take advantage of the support offered by the Plastic Free July website,and the invitation to sign up for the Plastic Free July pledge.
Back-up for Plastic Free July 2020 is also provided by Orange City Council which would like us to reduce the amount of plastic in Orange's waste stream.
Wayne Davis, Manager Waste Services and Technical Support for Orange City Council says having a promotional month focused on how we can all do our bit for the environment and reduce and even remove reliance on plastic is a challenge.
"But it's worth every moment that we can apply ourselves to rethinking our choices," Mr Davis added.
"Plastic plays an important part in our daily lives, but if we can use it for good wherever possible, and as sparingly as we can, then we will all benefit.
"Your Council and its contractor J.R.Richards Sons can offer service solutions for most circumstances, but what we need is our community's support to make decisions to avoid, re-use and recycle as part of our daily routine."
He says to keep looking at Council's web site and social media posts for handy daily hints to make your Plastic Free July a great success.
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