The Queensland government and Boomerang Alliance are expanding the free Plastic Free Places program to include cafes, restaurants, hotels, and tourism venues located in Southeast Queensland as part of an effort to phase out single-use plastics.
The program connects businesses with environmentally friendly suppliers, which provides on-the-ground support and data collection, and breaks down barriers that business owners might face.
Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon joined Boomerang Alliance in Tuesday’s launch of Plastic Free Places to hospitality sites located in Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, and the Redlands, as well as other regional accommodation providers.
The $1.6 million Plastic Free Program Builds on the Palaszczuk Government’s five-year roadmap aimed at eradicating several single-use plastics across the state. The roadmap includes recent bans on single-use straws, bags, and the $1.1 billion Recycling and Jobs Fund to drive recycling and remanufacturing in the sunshine state.
Since its launch in regional Queensland four years ago, the program has worked with more than 600 businesses across Noosa, Central Queensland, Townsville, and the Far North, eliminating over 8.2 million pieces of single-use plastic.
“The majority of Queenslanders (7 out of 10) are already taking steps to cut out single-use plastics, and together with many business owners they want to see it cut out from the places they dine, shop and stay at too.”
Toby Hutcheon, campaign manager for Boomerang Alliance, said the program’s expansion means the project can be active across Southeast Queensland and help more local businesses.
“A new innovation will be a focus on reusable food ware and BYO coffee cups. Hotels and cafes can play a big part in helping Queenslanders make the switch away from disposable packaging,” Hutcheon. “The Plastic Free Places program started in Queensland and is now active in every State across Australia.”
