By Jadzia Wolff and Helen Lewis of Circular Plastics Illawarra
A plastic cleanup organised by Wollongong Council at Stuart Park in August showed how much plastic litter – particularly microplastics and fibre – are in the environment but not visible to humans. During a guided exercise we used blue light torches to illuminate and identify fluorescent plastics - materials that attract wildlife like fish and birds even in daylight.
The cleanup was attended by around 25 people of all ages. The crowd consisted of young children who enjoyed the interactive nature of the event; finding glowing, colourful bits of plastic as well as some fungi was like a treasure hunt in the dark. There were Uni students, some people from Bushcare, and other keen families and members of the public. Nine News was also in attendance.
In one activity we viewed some samples of bird nests while it was still light. Nothing seemed abnormal; they seemed to be comprised of a mixture of natural fibres carefully (and beautifully) woven together. After dark we inspected the nests under our blue light torches and were able to see the glaringly obvious plastic contents. We learned that when birds use plastic in their nests, it increases the temperature of the nest, making it a breeding site for lice and other nasties, often killing the chicks.
The group then search the area around Stuart Park for plastic litter using our special torches. The park was quite clean overall as the Council regularly cleans the area and services the bins. However, the point of using the blue-light was to show what our eyes can't see. Most of what we found were small fibres that had a bright glow. We noticed that some natural bacteria and fungi also glowed, demonstrating why birds get confused.
A key take-away: Littering is not just about what we can see with our own eyes. Even if we pick up everything we can see, there are still microplastics in the environment that stand out very clearly to birds. This prompted us to think about not just using plastics responsibly but minimising our use at all.
Soft plastics recycling update
The national recycling scheme for soft plastics recycling is getting that little bit closer after receiving interim authorisation this week from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The scheme will be funded by a levy on companies that use soft plastic packaging and administered by a new not-for-profit organisation, Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA).
SPSA staff visited Nowra in July to meet with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO) and CPI to discuss how they might be able to support soft plastics recycling in the Illawarra, either though kerbside collection, drop-off events or permanent collection at local Community Recycling Centres.
In other local news, Wingecarribee Shire Council has announced that their pilot soft plastics collection program, which was due to end in June this year, will continue. This is great news for residents in the shire.
Click here to read more about collections in Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven!
