Wrapping up Plastic Free July with free reusable bags for residents

Published on 24 July 2018

Maribyrnong City Council will be handing out over 1000 reusable and biodegradable bags to residents to tie up Plastic Free July.

To launch the initiative Mayor Cr Cuc Lam will be attending a Storytime session at West Footscray Library on Tuesday 31 July to hand out bags to residents. Keeping with theme, the session will feature children’s books related to recycling and helping the environment to encourage families to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Reusable bags will also be made available in libraries throughout the City located in Braybrook, Footscray, Maribyrnong, West Footscray and Yarraville.

Following the single-use plastic bag bans at major supermarkets, the initiative aims to reduce residents’ reliance on plastic bags; and also aligns with Council’s goals to minimise waste and reduce single-use plastics.

According to Sustainability Victoria, Australians use around 10 million plastic bags every day, which equates to an astonishing 4 billion every year. Of these, approximately 150 million end up in our oceans and waterways, contributing to an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic dumped into the ocean every year.

By using reusable bags, we can drastically reduce the amount of plastic that goes into our oceans, and reduce the amount of contamination going into our recycling bins.

A word from the Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam:

‘This is a great initiative that I hope will help residents of all ages adopt the recent bag bans, and stop them relying on single-use plastics. 

‘By educating children early on the importance of doing the right thing when it comes to the environment, we are building a more sustainable future for the whole community.’

Maribyrnong News
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