Plastic Free July

Small changes. Lasting impact.

Plastic Free July is a simple reminder that small actions, repeated every day, can make a real difference.

Choosing reusable shopping bags, drink bottles and coffee cups is an easy place to start. At home, look for fresh produce without plastic packaging, buy in bulk where you can, and choose reusable alternatives instead of single-use plastics.

Every piece of plastic we avoid is one less item that can end up in our waterways, bushland and Lake Macquarie.

If you've already accumulated a stash of soft plastics, don't throw them in your recycling bin. Instead, collect clean, dry plastic bags, bread bags, biscuit wrappers and other soft plastics and take them to the Awaba Waste Management Facility, where they can be recycled through dedicated collection programs.

Looking for more ideas? Low Plastic Eating Made Easy is a practical video packed with simple tips for reducing plastic waste in your everyday shopping and cooking:


This July, challenge yourself to refuse just one single-use plastic item. You might be surprised how quickly one new habit leads to another.

Plastic Free July – it’s a challenge

Soft Plastic Recycling: What Are Our Local Options?

If you’ve been wondering what to do with your soft plastics since the REDcycle bins disappeared from our local supermarkets, you’re not alone. With Plastic Free July in full swing, it’s the perfect time to explore how our community can continue to reduce waste, even without a perfect system in place.

The good news? Soft plastic recycling hasn’t disappeared entirely, it’s just become a little trickier.

Local residents can now take separated soft plastics to the Awaba Waste Management Facility. Just a heads-up: closed-in shoes are a must at the tip, and the soft plastics must be kept apart from other recycling materials.

For those wanting a more supermarket-style drop-off, Woolworths is currently running a soft plastics recycling trial. Participating stores include Mount Hutton, Charlestown, Cardiff and Glendale. This trial is part of a broader plan being developed by the Australian Food and Grocery Council, in collaboration with major supermarkets, to reintroduce a national soft plastics collection program.

The catch? There’s still no firm timeline, and the path from collection to actual recycling into usable products, like park benches or furniture, remains unclear.

As outlined in a recent response to local sustainability advocate Steve Dewar, the Boomerang Alliance has been advocating for federal-level producer responsibility. In the meantime, they recommend that communities like ours reach out directly to our Woolworths via Facebook Messenger to express interest in joining the trial.

They also encourage locals to support their “Cut the Wrap” campaign, which is calling for stronger government action. You can add your voice here:

Sign the open letter: www.cutthewrap.org.au/openletter

Write to your MP: www.cutthewrap.org.au/mpletter

So while we may not have a perfect solution just yet, there are ways we can keep soft plastics out of landfill, and show there’s strong community demand for a better system.

Was your July plastic free?

It’s almost impossible to be plastic free, which is why we’ve got ourselves into this pollution pickle. The numbers and impact are staggering. From the IUCN webpage they say 

• Over 400 million tons of plastic are produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications.
• At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, and plastic makes up 80% of all marine debris found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.
• Marine species ingest or are entangled by plastic debris, which causes severe injuries and death.
• Plastic pollution threatens food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change.
• There is an urgent need to explore new and existing legally binding agreements to address marine plastic pollution.
• The most power we have to change things is at a personal level, supported by agencies that encourage and facilitate a low plastic lifestyle.

We are very fortunate to have a Council that is leading the way in closing the loop on plastic pollution.

So if you’re one of the people that’s been stock piling your soft plastics since RedCycle shut up shop last year then you’re about to regain some storage space.

A soft plastics recycling solution is now available once again!

Locals can drop off household quantities of non-foil-based soft plastics free of charge at the Awaba Community Recycling Centre (CRC).

Council will also recover hard plastics such as bumper bars, laundry baskets and planter pots, along with old CDs and DVDs, from its waste management facilities to divert these materials from landfill.

These hard and soft plastics will be collected by Australian Composite Technology to be pelletised and transformed into a specialty material known as ‘Plasmar’, used to create products such as fence posts, bollards, sleepers and park benches.

As part of the agreement, Council will buy back the manufactured products for use across Lake Macquarie, contributing to the city’s circular economy.

So if you’re heading to the tip, why not let your neighbours know and drop their softies off too!

But there’s more (and no it’s not a set of steak knives).

There is a way to reduce plastic use, one product at a time. The Plastic Free July website offers loads of advice.

When you look in your cupboard how many of your cleaning products come in plastic containers?

Taking the next steps…

Bulk food stores often offer refillable cleaning products, including window cleaner, dishwashing liquid, and laundry powder/liquid. Farmers markets, chain supermarkets and even delivery trucks increasingly offer refills.

Buying eco-friendly cleaning products in bulk and sharing them with friends, family members and neighbours can be a great way to reduce plastic waste too.

Many people make a simple all-purpose cleaner with equal parts of white vinegar and water (vinegar is a recommended product for mould removal), while others make a water and bicarbonate soda paste for scrubbing. Adding a few drops of essential oil or a squeeze of citrus juice will make homemade cleaning options smell great too.

The impact:

• Avoiding chemicals that can be toxic for yourself, your family and the planet.
• Reducing plastic waste and the use of our natural resources in creating it.
• Saving money by buying in bulk or using homemade cleaning products.

https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/what-you-can-do/plastic-free-cleaning/

TASNG Waste Report

By Waste Warrior -Steve Dewer

On Saturday June 4, Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group (TASNG) held a stall outside Woolworths, Toronto, to celebrate World Environment Day and alert the public about the ban on single use plastic bags (including bio and compostable bags) which came into force on June 1. What a joy it was to see trolley after trolley with reusable bags rolling out of the store. Congratulations Toronto!

We had a number of give-aways including cloth reusable bags, low water shower heads, and especially the net veggie bags! Handouts for living sustainably proved very popular.

A petition to encourage Coles, Aldi and IGA to follow Woolies’ phase out of the cheap, 15 cent, thicker plastic bags, was signed by many people and later given to Managers of those supermarkets.

A decision has been made by TASNG to continue the message of “Recycle and Reuse” (including bamboo reusable coffee cups) at the Living Smart Festival in September and the community car boot event at Puntei Park in October. 

The ban on plastic straws, plastic cutlery and plates, plastic cotton buds and microbeads is due to commence on November 1!

The Plastic Free Cafes project is on the move again, with a planned roll-out of $2 reusable coffee cups in the next few weeks to distribute to local cafes and coffee vans.

King & Co and Belluno’s in Toronto are carrying the good quality bamboo reusable coffee cups.

TASNG active in Toronto

The Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group (TASNG) is one of 12 such active groups in the City of Lake Macquarie under the Sustainable Neighbourhood Alliance (www.sustainableneighbourhoods.org.au/) which is a Council supported community organisation. TASNG includes the areas of Coal Point, Carey Bay, Kilaben Bay and Toronto. This year marks our 10th anniversary. We work closely with the Coal Point Progress Association.

TASNG members are all volunteers and committed to reducing resource consumption and increasing community involvement in protecting and caring for the environment and place, the community’s capacity to respond effectively to environmental threats and citizen involvement in public life and decision-making. 

Our interests include waste and recycling (e.g. plastic free cafes and publicising single use plastic bans), improving walking and cycling infrastructure, community assistance and events (e.g. planned car boot sale/community get-together), urban revegetation and beautification (e.g. west entry to Toronto) and landcare.

We warmly welcome new members, including from outside the TASNG area, and gratefully accept donations. New members will need to complete a once off membership form and pay an annual fee of $5. Please contact the Secretary at torontoareasng@gmail.com or on 0418 967 158 for further information or submit an enquiry at www.sustainableneighbourhoods.org.au/toronto-area.html. TASNG meets monthly at The Hub, 97 The Boulevarde or online if required.

TASNG will join in the Plastic Free Cafes/Coffee Vans campaign over April/May to provide over 600 more bamboo reusable coffee cups to cut down on the huge number of non-reusable coffee cups going to landfill. Keep an eye out for them at selected cafes/coffee vans…only $2 donation. In June when the single-use plastic ban comes into effect in NSW, we will operate a shopping centre booth to help businesses and the public move away from these types of plastics! We are also endeavouring to get more signage around Toronto about the rich heritage of Toronto’s history. We have other projects to make Toronto a better town! http://www.sustainableneighbourhoods.org.au/plastic-free-cafes.html

Toronto's Plastic free coffee shops

• Bellunos
• The Boulevarde Coffee Hub
• Casa-Nova Italian Restaurant & Bar
• Greg and Audreys
• Tinto Espresso Bar & Infuzion Cafe
• King and Co

TASNG Tips

Annual General Meeting

You're invited to the online Annual General Meeting of Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group on Wednesday 13 October, 5pm, via Zoom

Register in advance for this Zoom meeting:

The AGM Agenda will be

1. Welcome – Acknowledgement of Country
2. Attendance & Apologies
3. To confirm the Minutes of the AGM held on 11 November 2020.
4. Reports
5. Election of Office bearers - To elect an executive committee
Nominations for each of these positions should reach the Secretary at least ONE week prior to the meeting date. Please email torontoareasng@gmail.com.
6. To determine an annual membership fee.
7. To conduct any other business as required.

The October monthly meeting will follow the AGM

Looking after Locals after lockdown

As we emerge from our health hiatus and tentatively step forth along the road to recovery, spare a thought, and some cash, to support our local business that have done it tough over the past months. If you can buy local, you’ll be keeping our community humming along and providing the goods and services we need.

Transitioning to plastic free

The NSW Plastics Action Plan sets out several actions to better manage plastics and reduce their environmental impact, including phasing out some of the most littered plastic items through new legislation.

The Action Plan targets are to work towards national waste targets including:
• phase out problematic and unnecessary plastics by 2025
• ban the export of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres, starting in 2021
• reduce the total waste generated in Australia by 10% per person by 2030
• recover an average 80% of resources from all waste streams by 2030
• significantly increase the use of recycled content by government and industry.

TASNG are starting to plan for the next phase of our Plastic Free Lake Mac campaign, with a focus on supporting our local businesses to make the transition away from plastic items such as "reusable" thick plastic bags, veggie bags, coffee cups, plastic cutlery, stirrers and straws.

What are your ideas about ways to help local businesses, and how would you like to be involved? Please let TASNG know. If there are businesses we can support in Toronto to transition through writing grants and providing information we’d love to hear from you.

In the meantime you can recycle a whole range of soft scrunchable plastics through the REDcycle program at Woolworths and Coles

TASNG Tales- March 2019

By Nico Marcar- TASNG Chair

As part of the Community Harmony Initiative, TASNG was again involved in organising the community 'Picnic in the Park' on the Toronto Foreshore on the evening of Friday 22 February. Numbers were down somewhat because of a little inclement weather. However, those present were treated to great music from Ukenjamit (ukelele band), a participatory African Drumming session, meditation, access to Lake Mac roving library and games.

The Awaba Road garden at the west entrance to Toronto has been marked, edged and mulched and a few hardy Lomandras planted. Major planting is planned for May.

TASNG is spearheading a campaign to reduce the use of plastics in Toronto. Twelve businesses are plastic bag and plastic-lined coffee cup free, twelve are well on the way and nine are still to change.

We always welcome new ideas for projects!

Toronto is making the switch

By Steve Dewer: TASNG Waste Warrior

Toronto is leading the way in the Hunter, encouraging local cafes, shops and residents to switch from single-use plastic items. Toronto’s lakeside location has the benefit of increased awareness about pollution from single-use plastics;plastic bags, plastic straws, plastic-lined takeaway coffee cups, plastic packaging, plastic cutlery, you can’t go for walk without seeing it washed up on the foreshore.

The cafés in Toronto that have switched out of plastic-lined takeaway coffee cups are Hughzies, Double Take, Bean-to-go, Miranda’s, Tinto, Cafe 2283 and Greg and Audrey’s Ice-Creamery. Michelle’s Cafe will switch in the next month. Having twin bins throughout Toronto means you can RECYCLE the non-lined takeaway coffee cups. Toronto has a community that cares!

Toronto clubs and pub have either switched to paper/cardboard straws or offer plastic straws only if asked. Maccas has even committed to switching away from plastic straws!

Of course, the supermarkets, and their liquor stores and service stations, are still handing out plastic bags but customers have to pay for them and most are reusing them. Most other shops have either stopped using plastic bags or will switch soon with customers now bringing their own bags!

Takeaway food from cafes still offer single-use plastic bags, Council has offered reusable non-plastic bags to help them and a few other shops and Chemists, to switch to non-plastic solutions.

As Toronto switches from single-use plastics, YOU, the customer, can encourage the remaining cafes and shops to make the switch to protect our little patch of paradise and the planet from the harmful effects of all this plastic which is affecting our birds, aquatic animals and even making its way up the food chain into us.

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