CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Dr SCAMPS (Mackellar) (10:30): I recently hosted the Waves Without Waste Expo in Warriewood on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, bringing together our community to tackle the problem of plastic pollution. In Mackellar we know this problem all too well. A recent study by the New South Wales government found that Manly and Dee Why lagoons and Middle Creek are amongst the most microplastic polluted waterways in the state.
Our expo featured dedicated local organisations including Living Ocean, Say No to Plastics, Parents for Climate Action, iQRenew and the Boomerang Alliance. All showcased the work that they're doing and practical community led solutions to the plastic problem. Kal Glanznig and Cooper Chapman, two incredible young men from Surfers for Climate and the Good Human Factory, hosted their Blue Minds Youth Ocean Leadership workshop addressing eco-anxiety in kids and young people and empowering them to become leaders for ocean conservation.
The main event of the day was a panel of inspiring Australians, each leading solutions to the plastic crisis. World-record-holding solo sailor and Mackellar local Lisa Blair spoke of her global microplastics study, which alarmingly found microplastics in every single sample she collected in the Southern Ocean as she circumnavigated Antarctica. Lisa is also pioneering research to create sustainable boats to reduce the environmental toll of fibreglass on our oceans.
Ocean advocate and filmmaker Kal Glanznig shared his journey in making his soon-to-be-released film, Plastic Country, where he tested his own body for plastic chemicals with concerning results. Nina Gbor, a leading circular economy expert, spoke about the enormous scale of plastic waste from the fast fashion industry, highlighting that current approaches put too much focus on recovery when the real priority should be reducing plastic use in the first place.
The message from all three was loud and clear. We cannot recycle our way out of this problem, nor can we leave it to individuals to try to solve it. Every speaker called for national leadership through an extended producer responsibility scheme.
Such a scheme would put the onus on the corporations generating the plastic waste to manage its collection, recycling and reuse, at the same time as meeting mandatory reduction targets. This type of scheme is already active or being introduced in 60 nations around the world. I want to sincerely thank everyone who hosted a stall or came to the expo to find out more.
It was wonderful to see such interest from the Northern Beaches community in reducing plastic pollution and building a cleaner, healthier future.