The Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate has launched an Actsmart campaign urging Canberra’s entertainment venues to get rid of plastic straws.
Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Shane Rattenbury announced the Straws Suck campaign, saying the reliance on single-use plastic was having devastating impacts on the planet.
“We all share a responsibility to act where we can to reduce impacts on our environment — every little piece of avoided waste can make a real difference,” Mr Rattenbury said.
He said an estimated 10 million straws are used in Australia every day.
“As a soft plastic, they can take up to 200 years to break down, and can end up polluting our waterways and harming wildlife,” Mr Rattenbury said.
He said the campaign would encourage businesses in the ACT to make a pledge to reduce the number of plastic straws they provided customers as part of the Straws Suck campaign.
“Actsmart will provide program participants with marketing material to support their pledge, including coasters, posters, door stickers and straw dispenser stickers,” Mr Rattenbury said.
He said Canberra business Bentspoke Brewery Company was among more than 1,000 Canberra businesses that had signed up to Actsmart’s business recycling program.
“By signing up to the Straws Suck campaign, Bentspoke staff aim to significantly reduce the estimated 4,000 straws used on site each year,” Mr Rattenbury said.
