With local councils bearing the responsibilities for waste collection and the cleaning of public spaces, the onus is on them to also come up with a plan to reduce costs, meet community expectations and contribute to protecting the environment.

With the help of the Plastic Free July organisations council membership program, councils across Australia and New Zealand are now reaping the benefits, with a comprehensive toolkit of resources available to them, to help implement a programme for Plastic Free July. 

The organisation states that a number of local governments already take part in the initiatives available to draw attention to and brainstorm ideas on how to tackle waste avoidance in the community. Encouraging local communities to take part in Plastic Free July can make a real difference - in total, 21 kgs per household per year less waste and recycling were reported at the kerb-side bins from each participant.

When residents in local councils engage with Plastic Free July it delivers important outcomes to councils including a reduction in household waste disposal, support for local businesses that encourage the switch to reusables and support for regulations to limit the supply of single-use plastics and other common littered items.

Plastic Free July council membership provides a "One Stop Shop" to plan and implement a programme for their local council area and assist in effective behavioural changes. It also provides a community of peers from Councils around Australia to share experiences and ideas and ask questions.

If you would like your council to become involved in Plastic Free July, you can jump over to the Plastic Free July website or contact your local council to find out how they will be involved this year.

Information taken from Plastic Free July. Read about our new Cold Paper BioCups and Easy to Implement Changes to help Restore our Planet, on our blog.

 Planet Friendly Packaging acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we work. Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by COVID-19. Stay safe.