With hundreds of organisations, communities and individuals from across the region taking part, the yearly march has called for a reduction in single-use plastic, particularly through regional government policies and responsible business practices for managing waste in the region. 

In 2024, the organisations introduced a new concept – a Plastic Free Picnic or ‘Piknik Bebas Plastik’ – featuring the same spirit of reuse, and bringing together communities across Indonesia to reduce single-use plastics and encourage reuse.

How it began: from parade to picnic

As the Plastic Free Parade evolved to reach a wider audience and take a more practical, solutions-focused approach, it grew into the Plastic Free Picnic – a community and family-friendly gathering that offers a space to learn, connect, and celebrate the power of small changes.

During July 2025, the vibrant city of Jakarta played host to the much-loved second edition of Piknik Bebas Plastik, in one of the biggest parks in Jakarta. Designed to raise awareness about plastic pollution and champion better waste management, this joyful event has become a cornerstone event during Plastic Free July in Indonesia.

So what exactly are Plastic Free Picnics?

Plastic Free Picnics are all about putting waste reduction – especially plastic – front and center. They’re a fun way to reach new people and get them thinking about how single-use plastics affect our environment and health, helping to spread awareness of the issues, while implementing Reuse Protocol (initiated by Plasticdiet Indonesia) – a practice for using reusables at events (such as food & beverage containers and reusable banners), to prevent single-use waste.

2025’s Jakarta event was all about connecting with the community via hands-on workshops, open discussions about plastic pollution, and engaging activities and entertainment for everyone to enjoy – all while sharing the message about how to live with less plastic.

Sarah Rauzana from Plasticdiet Indonesia explained the Jakarta event’s intention:

“We wanted to show that reuse isn’t a new concept for Jakarta and Indonesia. If you look at the food carts on the streets here, they’ve long used reusable bowls and containers. Reuse is truly our culture and our norm.  At the Plastic Free Picnic, we highlight two types of reuse: traditional practices and modern reuse businesses, which were presented by the members of Indonesian Reuse Association – demonstrating how both approaches can work in today’s world.”

2025: a celebration of reuse in action

The 2025 event exceeded all expectations. More than 350 people turned up – including many families with children – and the spirit of reuse was alive in every detail. People brought their own meals, or came prepared with reusable containers and utensils to enjoy food from the event’s many stalls. And for those who didn’t bring their own, no problem – reusable utensils and containers (coconut bowls, utensils and cups) were available and could be washed and reused on the spot.

The vendors were all-in too. With support from the organisers, they embraced the reuse mindset, serving up delicious local food with sustainability at the heart of every dish, and providing water stations for bottle refills.

Adding to the lively atmosphere were local reuse businesses under the umbrella of Indonesia Reuse Association (Asosiasi Guna Ulang Indonesia, AGUNI). One of the association’s members, Alner, supplies daily essentials in returnable and reusable packaging that can be used up to 20 times. Repax supplies reusable packaging for Indonesia’s sustainable e-commerce. And Taksu Reuse from Bali, supplies reusable eating utensils and dishware for waste-free events. They were joined by other AGUNI members like Toko Organis from Bandung, Refilin from Gresik, Kecipir from Bogor, and Izifill from Bandung, who provided water refill stations at the event. 

There were also interactive displays, hands on workshops and discussions, and a photobooth where attendees could make their very own Plastic Free Pledge, with English and Bahasa Indonesian versions available.

Among the crowd was Plastic Free July founder, Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, who was moved by the spirit of the gathering. “This was an incredible community event,” she said. “It was inspiring to see so many people making Plastic Free Pledges, using reusables, and making positive changes for the good of the planet.”

The Plastic Free Picnic is a shining example of how joy, culture, and sustainability can go hand in hand, in a celebration of what’s possible when a community comes together with a shared purpose. Here’s to more shared meals, more singalongs, more reusables – and plenty more picnics with purpose.

The post Plastic Free Picnic: Jakarta’s Community Celebrates Reuse appeared first on Plastic Free July.

While small, single-use sachets – used for everything from shampoo to coffee – are affordable in the short-term, they’re a major source of plastic pollution in the environment, with billions of sachets discarded annually. To create a new normal, Greenpeace Philippines launched Kuha Sa Tingi, a movement that reinvents how small (and large) amounts of everyday products are sold.

From tingi culture to ‘bring-it’ culture

Through partnerships with local government units and small retailers (sari-sari stores), the initiative is replacing single-use plastic sachets with refill stations, allowing consumers to bring their own reusable containers. This simple shift drastically cuts down plastic waste, while keeping purchases accessible for low-income communities.

The rollout has been widely supported, with 40 store owners across Metro Manila receiving kits to set up refill stations. In Quezon City, the program launched with 30 pilot stores. Mayor Joy Belmonte emphasised that the project proves sustainability can be both affordable and inclusive, especially for marginalised communities. Similarly, 10 sari-sari stores in San Juan have embraced the refill model, offering products like detergent and dishwashing liquid in tingi-size quantities.

Response and results

The collaboration between Greenpeace Philippines, Impact Hub, and the local government has helped make refilling more accessible, encouraging residents to shift away from single-use plastics.

Early data suggests that refill options reduce costs by up to 201% compared to sachet purchases. Store owners, too, benefit, reporting a 15% increase in profits as refills become a sustainable and cost-effective alternative.

Overall, locals have responded positively, recognising the environmental and economic benefits of the initiative, with more barangays set to introduce refill dispensers in the coming months. And since its inception in 2022 until the end of 2024, Kuha sa Tingi has reached over 2,000 stores and avoided an impressive 3.9M sachets.

“When we shift to refill and reuse systems, we are not just cutting down on plastic waste—we are building a future where people and the planet thrive together,” said Marian Ledesma, from Greenpeace Philippines.

To achieve wider impact and scale up these reuse and refill systems, the initiative partners are advocating for policy change to support their efforts.

Find out more

Want to learn more about bringing sustainability back to Filipino tingi culture? Read the Greenpeace report.

Download our Philippines Plastic Solutions Showcase booklet – a powerful collection of local innovations and grassroots action making a real difference.

The post Kuha Sa Tingi: redefining convenience, reducing plastic waste appeared first on Plastic Free July.

Building awareness and engaging the team

In their inaugural year as a partner, Endeavour Group hosted a “lunch and learn” event with Plastic Free July founder Rebecca Prince-Ruiz OAM and Agnieszka Pfeiffer, Managing Director of Dan Murphy’s. The goal was to equip the team with ideas on reducing plastic waste through simple, actionable steps. The initiative inspired team members to take these ideas back to their workplaces and initiate conversations about sustainability.

Small changes, big impact

The concept of Plastic Free July is rooted in the power of small changes. By removing one single-use plastic item from their daily lives, participants can collectively make a significant impact. In Australia alone, over 2.7 million single-use coffee cups are discarded every day. Many team members, including Endeavour Group CEO, Steve Donohue, pledged to stop using disposable coffee cups. To support this effort, Dan Murphy’s distributed keep cups to 6,500 team members. Similarly, a coffee cart used to celebrate Plastic Free July, at their Sydney head office went “single-use free” a move that was met with enthusiasm and support.

Encouraging small but meaningful change

Endeavour Group’s partnership with Plastic Free July highlights the importance of engaging a community of people to work together and take small steps towards reducing plastic waste. By fostering awareness, encouraging small but meaningful changes, and implementing innovative solutions, they are working towards a more sustainable future.

The post Plastic Free July: How Endeavour Group is Making a Difference appeared first on Plastic Free July.

Plastic free solutions

Strong supporters of Plastic Free July and the first accommodation provider in the Philippines to be a signatory to the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI), El Nido Resorts have made impactful plastic reduction changes to their daily operations. These include mandating a sachet ban for body care and laundry items such as shampoo, toothpaste, laundry detergent, soap, and dishwashing liquid since 2013. Involving the local community in its sustainability efforts, women from local barangays (villages) in El Nido weave and produce bags and slippers that are purchased by the resorts and complimentary to guests.  

Tumblers have replaced plastic water bottles and refillable containers are used instead of single-use toiletries. This generated a reduction in plastic waste by over 60 percent from 2018 to 2019. 

Operational changes have expanded to replace other single-use plastic items previously used in daily operations such as garbage bags, plastic straws, plastic cutlery, and styrofoam food packaging. 

The resorts widened their plastic free focus by choosing to refuse single-use items at events including balloons, party poppers, confetti, glitter, and plastic streamers. Celebrations at the island resorts and it’s beach clubs are now more centred on the natural environment. Whether you are a small business or a large corporation, Plastic Free July has put together some ways you can reduce plastic at your event too. 

For their most recent Plastic Free July challenge, El Nido Resorts initiated incentivised cleanups, helping to protect marine sanctuaries with endangered turtles and countless tropical fish and coral species from the harmful effects of plastic pollution. Plastics collected from the cleanups are diverted to their local Materials Recovery Facility for upcycling.

In tandem, a social media campaign worked to encourage mindful conversations amongst colleagues and guests by posing questions about plastic pollution and ways to encourage others to do their bit. 

Shifting the impacts of tourism

“We have participated in Plastic Free July for the second year to show our support to the global movement and empower our staff to take pride in the significant roles they play,” El Nido Resorts Sustainability Officer Denise Samson said. 

“Destination managers, particularly those situated in ecologically significant areas, are in a good position to shift the tourism industry’s impact on biodiversity and local communities. By sharing [staff] experiences and engaging in conversations, we can hopefully inspire and encourage other tourism businesses and practitioners in the locale to champion similar sustainability initiatives.”

Although El Nido Resorts acknowledge that, initially, implementing plastic reduction measures can be time-consuming and lead to upfront expenses, the changes have translated to longer-term financial savings and destination sustainability.

The trickle effect is clear with the Sustainability Department fostering collaboration with the Purchasing Department who now access sustainable product suppliers. Staff and guests have formed new habits, and this has encouraged their families and communities to make a difference too. 

Environmental Stewards

Looking ahead, El Nido Resorts are set to implement their 2023 commitment to the World Tourism Organisation’s Global Tourism Plastics Initiative which aims to phase out all single-use plastic amenities inside guest rooms. 

Driving long-term cultural change, the educational program Be GREEN (Guard, Respect, Educate El Nido) includes mandatory training in Ecological Solid Waste Management, highlighting the benefits of refusing and reducing single-use plastics in the workplace and beyond. Staff are also committed to reducing waste year-round through an eco-challenge that encourages creative solutions to repurposing non-biodegradable waste. 

Hanniel Almasco recommends other businesses keen to reduce plastic in their communities integrate policy with education.

“When it comes to industry-wide sustainability efforts, we always combine corporate policies with programs on awareness and education,” Hanniel Almasco said. 

“To be strategic in every initiative – such as the phase-out of single-use plastics across our resorts’ operations – is key to successful implementation. Strategies are also easily replicated, making the efforts easier to adapt for other businesses like ours.”

We are participating in Plastic Free July for the second year to show our support to the global movement and empower our staff to take pride in the significant roles they play.

El Nido Resorts Sustainability Officer Denise Samson said. 

[See image gallery at www.plasticfreejuly.org] Photo credit: Nikki Inso

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Bluey isn’t just the name of one of Australia’s favourite animated characters, or a larrikin name for people with red hair. It is also the name given to the disposable plastic-backed bed pads frequently  used in hospital and community settings. Blueys are a high-turnover product. Each year, around 75 million blueys underpads are discarded worldwide, contributing up to 1,950 tonnes of landfill waste.

To coincide with global Plastic Free July commitments in 2022, staff from SMHS kicked off their plan to reduce blueys and raise awareness of plastics in the workplace. 

“There is so much single-use plastic in the healthcare sector,” SMHS’s sustainability officer Bridget Egan said. “We decided it was time to address our bluey’s use, particularly the inappropriate and excessive use of blueys.”

From Surveys to Sustainable Practices

A workplace survey helped guide the campaign. “We started with a staff survey to understand when, how, and how many blueys were being used, and in what circumstances,” Bridget said. One finding was that whole packs of blueys were sometimes placed in a patient’s room and infection prevention protocols meant unused blueys couldn’t be repurposed.

The result of the survey was the ‘Think Before You Bluey’ campaign, which encourages staff to ask three questions before reaching for a bluey: Do I really need a bluey for this task? Do I need to use as many? Is there something else I can use instead?

Staff are encouraged to:

Refuse (don’t use a bluey at all); Reduce (the number used);

Reuse (clean packaging instead); or Swap (to another product more suitable for the job). These messages are reinforced in daily “huddles” – meetings that take place on wards to educate and inform staff. 

A simple change that demonstrates the Refuse-Reduce-Reuse-Swap message in action is that parents are now encouraged to use their own blankets on the scale instead of a bluey when their baby is being weighed in the clinic. 

“The campaign has  been really successful and people have embraced it because blueys are very visual,” Bridget said.

Exceeding targets

The State Rehabilitation Service Spinal Unit at Fiona Stanley Hospital, one of the highest users of blueys, set a 50 percent reduction target. Within three months, they had already reduced their use by 35 percent. “They are now well on track to meet their 50 percent target,” Bridget said.

Across the health service, reduction levels in the first nine months of the campaign are impressive. 

“The number of blueys ordered has dropped by 17 percent. That’s a total of 73,000 disposable blueys we avoided using in just 9 months,” Bridget said. 

Alongside the key ‘reduce’ message, a compostable version of the bluey (the greeny) is used in situations requiring three or more blueys.

Spreading green shoots 

The blueys campaign has ignited greater awareness of healthcare-related plastics. SMHS has set up a network of ‘Green Ambassadors’ who share sustainability news through a monthly newsletter.

“We are seeing ‘green teams’ being formed in many of our departments and wards,” Bridget said. “We want to spread green shoots throughout the organisation through these initiatives.”

“What ‘Think Before You Bluey’ has shown is that with the right information, simple messaging and a bit of encouragement, people are willing to embrace change for the benefit of the environment.”

The post Tackling Healthcare’s Plastic Waste: Think Before You Bluey appeared first on Plastic Free July.

Consultation and Collaboration

With over 64,000 students from 130 countries and over 7,000 staff across its campuses, UNSW is an influential research and education institution that has established campus-wide changes to encourage behaviour change. Arifa Sarfraz, UNSW’s Manager, Environmental Sustainability, explains that priorities for change are determined after extensive consultation with students and staff in order to understand their key priorities, a process that has revealed a sustained interest in and commitment to plastic reduction initiatives.

‘In relation to single-use plastic, our consultation shows that continued action on campus is really important for staff and students,’ Arifa said.

Collaborative efforts are strengthened by timing campaigns to coincide with Plastic Free July.

‘The Plastic Free July message coming from everywhere helps us to reinforce our message,’ Arifa said.  ‘Our campaigns are always well received in July because of the effort coming from Plastic Free July in general, along with all the other organisations and institutions that are on board.’

On target for sustainability

UNSW’s Environmental Sustainability Plan guides activities and outlines clear and measurable targets. To meet its targets, UNSW has adopted plastic reduction initiatives with key stakeholders as well as continuous improvement practices in waste management with the outcomes formalised in its annual Environmental Sustainability Report.

Plastic Free Dining

In 2019, analysis showed that ‘over 3 million single-use plastic food and drink packaging items were used across UNSW’s Kensington campus annually’, equivalent to around 12% of its accumulated general waste. Following 18 months of planning and engagement, Plastic Free Dining was launched, an initiative that works with on-campus food and drink retailers to encourage staff and students to BYO or dine in, with a three-bin system assisting with recycling efforts. ‘Plastic Free Dining’ focuses on making 100% of single-use packaging recyclable or compostable, removing avoidable single-use plastic packaging and reducing single-use coffee cups and water bottles. UNSW has also installed eye-catching, conveniently located water refill stations to encourage students to bring their own water bottles. More information about UNSW Plastic Free Dining program can be found on the Estate Management Sustainability website.

A flat white please – hold the plastic

Coinciding with Plastic Free July’s 2022 commitments from around the world, UNSW focused on a ‘reuse’ message, with staff and students asked to make a ‘dine plastic free and single-use free’ pledge. The initiative was supported by a social media campaign with Instagram and Facebook posts, as well as a waste quiz. These measures were leveraged with increased student-specific communications materials including flyers incorporating Plastic Free July’s Choose to Refuse logo with QR codes to find out more, as well as posts displayed on university-wide television screens. To encourage uptake, the campaign launched with 2,000 reusable coffee cups, 2,000 coffee vouchers and 20 copies of Plastic Free: The Inspiring Story of a Global Environmental Movement and Why it Matters with the results exceeding expectations.

‘We were expecting a slow start as the campaign began during the school holidays,’ Arifa said, ‘but we received almost 3000 pledges. The books and all reusable cups and vouchers were collected in the first two weeks of the July.’

Pledgers adopted a range of ‘reuse’ habits from using reusable coffee cups; bringing food containers, and utensils from home; and dining in at on-campus cafes; through to requesting straw-free drinks.

The award goes to …

To motivate campus retailers, and in recognition of their sustainability efforts, in 2021, UNSW’s Estate Management developed an award system that awards retailers gold, silver or bronze awards so students and staff are able to make informed dining choices based on criteria including reuse incentives, compostable packaging and encouragement of BYO reusable containers. The award status of each retailer can be found on the UNSW Estate Management Food and Retail website.

‘We were expecting a slow start as it started during the school holidays,’ Arifa said, ‘but we received almost 3000 pledges. The books and all reusable cups and vouchers were collected in the first two weeks of the July.’

The post UNSW: Dining on sustainable ideas appeared first on Plastic Free July.

A perfect space for the ripple effect of new ideas

The design aesthetics of Kikuchi City Library pay tribute to the environment. Located in Kikuchi City in Kyushu, Japan, the library integrates curved bookshelves to form a ‘book river’, acknowledging the cultural and environmental importance of the Kikuchi River. The ‘book river’ starts with low shelves in the children’s area and gradually expands to a large space with interactive nooks to bring patrons and ideas together. Although unintended, the design elements mirror the way Plastic Free July often starts by encouraging people to tentatively wade in the shallows before immersing themselves in proactive ways to reduce single-use plastic, a ripple effect that expands to others.

Plastic reduction ideas are inspiring in any language

Following a successful Plastic Free July initiative in 2021, Kikuchi City Library named July Kikuchi Plastic Free month (きくちプラなし月間), translating the name for library patrons and other citizens. To make the Plastic Free July challenge accessible, librarian Shinoka Sekihara from Kikuchi City Library translated Plastic Free July’s ‘Take the challenge’ video for their community, and in 2022, Kikuchi City Library embraced the challenge again, featuring workshops and a market as well as a display of books and plastic-free items. Displays incorporated Plastic Free July resources including posters that were translated into Japanese, while the events were promoted with the assistance of Kikuchi  City Office through their official city app Kikuchi Disaster Prevention Navi (きくち防災ナビ).

Wrapped in workshops: from Furoshiki to Beeswax and beyond

Library staff shared popular ideas and switches through workshops, starting with a beeswax wrap-making workshop along with informative discussions about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as initiatives from other countries through a ‘Plastic Free Life in New Zealand’ talk hosted by staff.  Shinoka said that attendance numbers more than doubled from those in the previous year.

The library also hosted a Japanese traditional bamboo fan making workshop (来民渋うちわKutami-shibu uchiwa) attended by young people through to seniors. The fans have a long history and have been made using bamboo, washi paper and persimmon varnish since the 15^th century. The workshop shared other plastic-free switches included bent-wood lunch boxes (曲げわっぱ) and traditional Furoshiki wrapping cloths (風呂敷).

To celebrate a full month of plastic reduction ideas, at the end of July, patrons of all ages discovered some of the issues around microplastics and then produced an acrylic alternative to a common household item in a hemp scrub making workshop. Shinoka explained how productive the discussion was when teamed with a hand-made solution: ‘Everyone really enjoyed making the scrub. And it made them think about the earth!’ she said.

Eco-marketing single-use alternatives

To complement the workshops, Kikuchi City Library organised a plastic-free Eco Market where patrons were encouraged to ‘BYO containers, cups and cutlery’. The market was promoted via posters and offered a taste of plastic alternatives including bulk shopping items, fresh vegetables, plastic-free meals including curries and sandwiches, and coffee. Since the ‘BYO culture’ is just starting to gain momentum in Japan, the market aimed to provide exposure to issues around single-use plastic to a broader audience, and the idea paid off.

‘I was surprised that more than half the customers brought their own containers and plates for their lunch,’ Shinoka said.

The post Kikuchi City Library, Japan: Creating Sustainable Stories appeared first on Plastic Free July.

Globally, coffee consumption is big business. Worldwide, billions of single-use cups are used. These are either made from plastic or paper (with a thin plastic lining), with the vast majority landfilled. Many are littered and become plastic pollution . It’s something that small business owners like Sondra Beram from Bondi’s bRU Coffee are working hard to change. Sondra describes bRU Coffee as “a tiny café with the biggest heart”. It’s a hole-in-the-wall establishment and go-to spot for tourists and celebrities (actor Sam Neill is a customer when in town)  as well as locals including the legendary Bondi Salties who reward themselves with a hot drink after their early Friday morning swims.

Keeping it Clean

Passionate about the stunning surfside environment she calls home, Sondra decided to embark on a simple yet workable solution to help remove single-use cups by setting up a library labelled ‘Don’t be a Mug’ with a stash of quirky and colourful reusable mugs for customers to take and return.

Originally, Sondra fossicked for mugs in second-hand stores, but now she rarely needs to top up supplies with many customers bringing their own cups from home. Most are returned so there are plenty in circulation. After use, the mugs are commercially cleaned in the café’s dishwasher before being stored behind the counter so the barista can select an appropriately-sized mug tailored to each customer’s coffee order.

“Sometimes when I arrive at work there are cups lined up outside,” Sondra said. Having started the Mug Library, she’s surprised by how straightforward it is. “You carry your phone, so just carry your cup. I hope other cafés try a Mug Library and see just how easy it is.”

Building on the Mug Library’s momentum, in 2021, Sondra collaborated with renowned journalist and author Sarah Wilson to initiate #ByoCupWeek with other cafés in Bondi. Part of this process was to educate café owners and coffee lovers that bringing or borrowing a cup is as safe as a single-use cup when health and hygiene standards are followed.

Word Up Customers

Key to #ByoCupWeek’s success was reminding customers in the lead up through word of mouth and social media. This resulted in a huge uptake. In 10 days, bRU Coffee served around 3,700 takeaway coffees in reusable cups.

Reinforcing why alternatives are not a ‘hard ask’ is also vital. Words play a big part in the acceptance or rejection of single-use plastic. Knowing current health legislation and training staff in skills such as contactless pouring can help spread the message to others that reusables are a safe alternative.

“We ask our customers, ‘Do you want to use one of our cups or do you want a single-use cup’” Sondra said. “When we changed from using words like ‘takeaway cup’ or ‘disposable cup’ and switched to using ‘single-use’, people’s behaviour really changed. They didn’t like the idea of using something that was ‘single-use’ whereas the word takeaway can be associated with being busy,” Sondra said.

Coinciding with 2022’s Plastic Free July, bRU Coffee is now 100 per cent single-use cup free.

“When we changed from using words like ‘takeaway cup’ or ‘disposable cup’ and switched to using ‘single-use’, people’s behaviour really changed. They didn’t like the idea of using something that was ‘single-use’.”

Sondra Beram, Owner of bRU Coffee Bondi

The post How bRU Coffee is Upping its Cup Game appeared first on Plastic Free July.

The Town of East Fremantle’s Waste and Sustainability Officer Connor Warn said that organisers embraced the festival’s ‘Sustainability’ theme by making changes following insights from their festival in 2019. Key to the success was their Sustainable Events Policy, restricting the use of all single-use plastics including single use water bottles, straws, plates, cups, and cable ties, and guiding a festival-wide uptake of reusable items provided by Go2Cup.

Reusables the Go-2 Solution

“For the 2019 festival, the Sustainable Events Policy didn’t exist, so it was difficult to restrict the use of single-use plastic items. Most of the waste was from packaging, such as coffee cups, cold drinks and food trays, and the waste wasn’t being sorted. Only 20 businesses used Go2Cup in 2019 and that saw high quantities of contamination across all streams of waste,” Connor said.

Learning from this, the Town streamlined provisions with more than 22,000 reusable items provided at the 2021 festival at no cost to the 35 food and beverage vendors. Contamination was all but eliminated through the addition of volunteer bin monitors at each of the five waste stations.

“We had bin monitors standing at each bin station. We only ended up having about 200 grams of contamination in the FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) bins, which was amazing.”

Previous proper planning pays off

Single-use water bottles were replaced with three 1,000 litre water tanks and reusable water cups, with pre-festival social media advice key to the success of this single-use alternative.

“Before the event we did a lot of social media,” Connor said. “It was really refreshing walking through the festival and seeing the number of people with their reusable bottles. It’s crucial when you are doing an event like this to make sure there’s information going out beforehand so people are aware that it will be a low waste event.”

All that glitters is not gold when it comes to sustainability. The George Street Festival also banned the use of single-use plastics such as balloons and glitter instead supporting stalls promoting circular and sustainable products and services including pre-loved and recyclable items.

A new norm

Already a “conscious community” the festival demonstrated “a new norm” for visitors to the area.

“We are trying to educate people who are coming from outside East Fremantle by showcasing what can be done,” Connor said.

“By incorporating reusables that can replicate and mimic the functions of standard single-use plastic items, we can go the next step; creating functional circular systems without waste.

“We used to be quite archaic, whereas now we are seen as being a powerhouse of environmentalism. If you can simplify options and make them something that people can easily swap out, there’s less opposition and it works so much better so there’s more uptake.”

Taking others on the journey

The Town of East Fremantle embodies Plastic Free July’s vision to ‘help end plastic waste’ with Mayor Jim O’Neill, along with many of the Town’s councillors, participating in the Plastic Free July challenge. Winners of the 2022 WasteSorted Waste Avoidance (Events) Award for the 2021 George Street Festival, the Town’s festival organisers hope this large-scale event will show what’s achievable for other event organisers, highlighting the possibilities of low waste and circular opportunities. 

“It has taken us a few years to get to where we are now, and while there’s still room for improvement, we encourage organisations who may not have a Sustainable Events Policy in place to set some goals.  It could be the amount of waste you want to reduce, or certain items you don’t want to see at your event. All efforts, as minimal as they may seem, contribute to the overall big picture.  

“You also have to have people working with you on the journey and you need to educate in a positive, proactive way,” Connor said.

The post The Town of East Fremantle: taking the weight off waste appeared first on Plastic Free July.

Brookfield Properties oversees real estate investments for leading global asset manager Brookfield Asset Management. After initiating change at their Australian corporate offices, staff have created a multiplier effect, sharing their learning journey with suppliers and tenants and now other offices around the world.

Taking stock

The annual Plastic Free July challenge is a great time to engage others and build momentum. In 2020, Brookfield Properties turned their interest into action, conducting audits to work on ways single-use plastic could be avoided or removed, and pinpointing ‘quick wins’ as well as point-of-production challenges. Coinciding with 2021’s Plastic Free July, the company launched its plastic reduction initiative with pilot programs in two major urban precincts – Brookfield Place Perth and Brookfield Place Sydney.

Walking the talk

Brookfield Properties started by removing more than 25 single-use plastic products from its Australia-wide offices and engaging staff through ‘lunch and learns’ delivered by Plastic Free July founder Rebecca Prince-Ruiz.

Impactful changes have included working with bathroom product suppliers to remove plastic wrapping from deliveries and requesting that all Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) be delivered in cardboard packaging. By ‘walking the talk’, staff are now able to share what has worked with their stakeholders.

Pilot program initiatives and wins

Pilot initiatives have resulted in vast plastic reduction wins. Brookfield Place Sydney’s hospitality venues are now recycling and use fewer bottles by buying in bulk. The installation of a “wet umbrella dryer” has provided a great alternative to single-use plastic umbrella bags.

In their Brookfield Place Perth food court, Brookfield Properties installed a reverse vending machine resulting in over 4,000 plastic bottles diverted from landfill. A water bottle refill station encouraging customers at the café court to embrace a sustainable alternative has led to the avoidance of over 6,700 single-use plastic water bottles. Reminders for staff to BYO reusable cups for takeaway coffee helped create a new coffee culture.

A journey of learning

Any significant change presents opportunities to learn along the way. Following contamination of recyclable coffee cups in its recycling stream, Brookfield Properties is running staff education sessions. It also immediately replaced oxo-degradable bags with naturally compostable bags after learning that oxo-degradable bags simply ‘break up’ into smaller pieces of plastic.

The multiplier effect

Brookfield Properties is rolling out changes on a national basis with initiatives including ‘lunch and learns’ and tours of local recycling plants for its tenants.

Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications Mathew Chandler is thrilled with Brookfield’s impressive plastic avoidance statistics and the way enthusiasm for change has spread.

“We are removing over 1.75 million single-use plastics from our supply chain annually. Even better, our program is igniting conversations and causing individuals to rethink their relationship with plastic; the multiplier effect is fantastic.

“We knew our company’s culture had changed when I went to buy flowers from the florist downstairs and asked for them to be wrapped without plastic packaging. They said, ‘You work for Brookfield, don’t you?’

“Our program is igniting conversations and causing individuals to rethink their relationship with plastic; the multiplier effect is fantastic.”

Mathew Chandler –Senior VP for Marketing and Communications

The post Brookfield Properties: Walking the talk on its plastic avoidance journey appeared first on Plastic Free July.