Bellingen Shire Council launches its Zero Waste Tableware Library
Published on 07 June 2023
Do you know what the deepest point in the ocean, the Mariana Trench, and the highest mountain peak on the planet, Mt Everest, have in common? Despite being among the most remote and inaccessible places on the planet, they both contain plastic from human activities miles away.
Bellingen Shire Council is pleased to announce the launch of its Zero Waste Tableware Library. This exciting initiative will provide sustainable options for community members looking to host a picnic, event or meeting – ultimately reducing the waste from single use plastics across the Shire. Plastic production has soared from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to 348 million tonnes in recent years and is set to double by 2040.Globally billions of items of plastic tableware, including single-use cutlery and plates, either ends up as landfill or as litter that harms our environment, ending up on our beaches and in rivers and oceans. By 2040, plastic in our oceans is predicted to reach around 30 million tonnes per year – that’s 50kg of plastic for every metre of coastline worldwide. That’s a whole lot of single-use plastics and tableware we can each take action against!
Plastic production has soared from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to 348 million tonnes in recent years and is set to double by 2040.Globally billions of items of plastic tableware, including single-use cutlery and plates, either ends up as landfill or as litter that harms our environment, ending up on our beaches and in rivers and oceans. By 2040, plastic in our oceans is predicted to reach around 30 million tonnes per year – that’s 50kg of plastic for every metre of coastline worldwide. That’s a whole lot of single-use plastics and tableware we can each take action against!
Bellingen Shire Deputy Mayor Joanne Cook said, ‘Council is committed to the NSW Ban on Single-use plastics and to helping our community reduce waste to landfill, including reducing waste from single-use, disposable picnic and tableware items used at gatherings across our Shire. I’m pleased to announce the launch of the new Zero Waste Tableware Library that will make it convenient and free for everyone to choose a reusable option whenever they’re hosting a gathering or meeting in our Shire. Choosing are usable option means zero disposable picnic or tableware items end up in our landfill from your event’, she said. ‘When you choose to borrow from the Zero Waste Tableware Library, you’re not just helping to reduce waste to landfill, you’re also helping everyone better understand how they can also take action to reduce their impact on the environment. The Zero Waste Tableware Library will also reduce our Shire’s contribution to global carbon emissions and to the impacts extreme climate events are having around the world, including on our region,’ she said.
You can now book one of several Zero Waste Tableware packs for your local gatherings. You can choose from up to 40 place-settings for your next local event, along with a whole host of serving items in packs including: the Morning Tea Kit, The Beverage Bar, the Luncheon Box, or the Salads and Platters Kit. To book the packs, you can either visit the Bellingen Shire Council’s website or call into reception at the Bellingen Shire Council Administration Office (33 Hyde Street, Bellingen NSW 2452) and fill in the form.
Why not book the Zero Waste Tableware packs for your next event today? Invite your friends or colleagues so we can make a difference, together. You can also check out these other great ideas on Zero Waste gatherings, or visit Amanda at the Bowerhouse Community Reuse Shop which has loads of reusable tableware for those larger events in the Bellingen Shire.