Townsville City Council has signed on to help implement the Plastic Free Places program in areas across the city.
Council endorsed supporting the Boomerang Alliance led project that has funding support from the State Government at the Full Council meeting this week.
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the program is a great initiative that aligns with Council’s goals to minimise the reliance of single-use plastics.
“Council has been implementing several programs in an effort to become a more sustainable city and reduce waste – this program is a great addition to those initiatives,” Cr Hill said.
“We will be supporting the Boomerang Alliance to roll out this program in key areas of Townsville including Magnetic Island, the CBD and Strand, and Riverway.
“I’m looking forward to Council working with the Boomerang Alliance to reduce the number of single-use plastics being used in the region.”
The Townsville Plastic Free Places program is expected to run for three years with on-ground activity beginning in March 2020.
Townsville Water and Waste Committee Chair Cr Russ Cook said a key aspect of the program will be the public education.
“The Boomerang Alliance have proposed a three-year project that includes encouraging the use of reusable or 100% compostable items, reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and focusing on public education,” Cr Cook said.
“Council has measures in place such as our plastic-free events, free recycling and free green waste at our facilities and this is another way we can move towards becoming a sustainable city.
“It costs a lot of money to run landfill, but if we can educate the community on the benefits of reducing waste, recycling and re-using items, it can really make a big impact on the life of our dumps while creating more jobs for our locals.”
