There are times when we should feel rightly proud of ourselves.
The start of this month was a line in the sand of time, the mark from which we took a big step forward in shaking our plastic addiction.
The supply of something seemingly innocuous but devastating for the environment – single-use plastic straws, stirrers, plates, bowls, cutlery and expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups – is now banned in Queensland.
People power is what drove the government into action; that, common sense and a waste problem bigger than Ben Hur.
Habits are hard to break and we are doing a mighty job at finding alternatives to plastic and getting used to reusing.
Three years ago, plastic shopping bags got the heave-ho and remember the kerfuffle that initially caused? Fabric shopping bags were left in the car, we worried what we would do for bin liners and were caught short with nowhere to put our wet togs after a dip.
Millions of the suckers used to be in circulation yearly in Queensland, so living without them took a bit of getting used to. But we got there.
This step in what feels akin to a 12-step program doesn’t hurt anywhere near as much.
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Moves away from plastic are good for our land, ocean, food cycle and health.
The World Wildlife Fund tells us that on average, Australians still use 130kg of plastic per person each year and only a smidgen of that is eventually recycled.
Perhaps more concerning, they say up to 130,000 tonnes of that plastic will find its way into our waterways and the ocean.
So much of it is of a kind that never biodegrades. In our oceans it breaks up under UV light and with the motion of wind and water. But even when it breaks down to molecular or nanoparticle levels, it is still plastic.
We are on the brink of there being more plastic in the ocean than fish and 70 per cent of that is said to be the single-use kind.
So, while any move from disposable plastic utensils and the like is excellent news, there is still more to be done.
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There are still the rolls and rolls of flimsy plastic bags available in the supermarket fruit and veg aisles. There is still a row of plastic bags of all sizes for sale and slabs of those single-use environmental destroyers, plastic water bottles, available for a pittance.
And why do whitegoods and furniture still come swathed in unnecessary plastic, polystyrene and other packaging with no retailer return and reuse plans?
Australians have shown themselves to be such good recyclers that the industries handling the returned waste are flooded and unable to keep up.
We get gold stars and this month’s ban is another respectful step forward in us collectively living lighter and doing less harm.
Where plastic is concerned, we have to approach our consumption knowing there is no real recycle or reuse. There is only reject.
Nothing about plastic is truly fantastic.
Jane Stephens is a USC journalism lecturer, media commentator and writer. The views expressed are her own.
