Put plastic in past, says reef crusader
A TOWNSVILLE man believes the city should lead the way in adopting a single- use plastic- free lifestyle given its proximity to the Reef.
David Coley, 23, has started the movement Plastic Free Townsville and said the first step was getting the local government onboard.
In April, Cairns Regional Council unanimously agreed to move towards eliminating all straws and other single- use plastics from council operations including office buildings, markets and other events and venues after being approached by Straw No More campaigner Molly Steer.
“We’re a city on the Reef, we have a reef right in between Maggie and Townsville – you can practically see it on low tide,” Mr Coley said.
“We should be leading the way because we have the most beautiful and largest organism right off our shore which can be polluted very easily.”
Mr Coley plans to ask Townsville City Council if they would consider adopting a similar move.
“Ideally I would love to see Townsville City Council support plastic- free Townsville,” he said.
Mr Coley said it was important North Queensland cities led the way in adopting a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
“It would be a really positive image for us because we are a city on the Great Barrier Reef,” he said. “I think we have a responsibility to lead by example and to start phasing these items out and to be a true Reef Guardian Council.”
He said it can be hard for some people to adjust to the change but said a lot of it was to do with mindsets.
“I think it’s our attitudes towards it; we have to work on our own behaviours and how we see plastics because it is a substance that lasts forever,” Mr Coley said.
“It breaks down into microplastics but never truly biodegrades and lasts in the environment for many years causing problems with our sea life.”
He plans to use his platform Plastic Free Townsville to educate, inspire and empower the city to reduce single- use plastics at their source and change consumer habits.
Local businesses Reef HQ, Longboard Bar and Grill, The Ville ResortCasino, Tobin Fish Tales and SeaLink have all gone plastic straw- free as part of The Last Straw campaign.
Eighteen cafes including Swagger & Jaxx, Colonial Cafe and Tide Cafe now offer 50¢ discounts for customers who bring their own reusable mug as part of Responsible Cafes.
“As for the older community, it might be harder to convince them but if they see other generations making the effort to change then I think anyone can be inspired to change,” Mr Coley said.