Council bans plastics, balloons
BUSINESSES and residents in three of Melbourne’s suburbs will soon be banned from selling or buying balloons and other plastics such as disposable food containers and cups.
In a recent vote by the City of Darebin council, which is made up of the suburbs of Preston, Northcote and Thornbury, members unanimously agreed to ban the plastic items from being sold or used on council land.
Residents looking to buy balloons will find them increasingly harder to find as the ban comes into effect over the next two years.
The council has said exceptions on the ban will be made for certain public events where disposable plastic is necessary.
Greens councillor Trent McCarthy said the introduction of the new policy was a step in the right direction in tackling environmental issues.
“It’s important that when we ask people to not leave plastics around in our public spaces, that we’re also doing everything we can to reduce the use of those single-use plastics ourselves,” Mr McCarthy told the ABC.
Balloon Artists and Suppliers Association president Ray Stewart argued latex balloons should not be included in the ban.
“Surely it’s worth looking into because the impacts that a full ban has on so many members of our community – mum and dad businesses who provide for their families through the sale of these balloons,” Mr Stewart said.
Latex balloons are often labelled as “biodegradable” and more environmentally friendly than other balloons, but they can still take years to break down and can cause damage to wildlife if ingested.