World Environment Day falls on June 5 and each year, the United Nations focuses on an environmental issue that needs attention. This year, the theme is ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’. We all know that plastic is not so fantastic, especially when it comes to the health of our planet. The statistics on how much plastic is produced each year (460 million tonnes in 2019) compared to how much is recycled (less than a tenth) is both mind-boggling and distressing. And today, plastic can be found everywhere – overflowing our landfills, running off into rivers and oceans, being ingested by animals, and eventually finding its way into our bodies in the form of microplastics.

On that sobering note, we encourage the community to give a thought to how they might make small changes to their everyday lives to reduce the use of plastics, such as:

• Use reusable items such as water bottles, coffee cups, shopping bags, and cutlery to avoid throwing away single-use items.
• Use a bar of soap instead of a plastic dispenser.
• Replace plastic wrap or single-use bags with reusable containers.
• Make sure you are recycling correctly.
• Think about the products you buy and what is going to happen to them once they reach end of life.
• Buy secondhand goods instead of new.

Both Albury City and Wodonga Councils have a soft plastic recycling service available. You can visit the Halve Waste website to register for the program.

And as always, make sure you look after the natural places you visit by taking your litter with you!