no r t h east
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25 april - 1 may 2018
◆ BEING GREEN: Karen Nankervis and Kathryn Chivers are among those spearheading campaigns aimed at reducing waste as part of Plasticwise Beechworth. PHOTO: Wendy Stephens
by KYLIE WILSON
disrupting disposable
culture
A GROWING number of concerned citizens in the North East have helped spearhead a rapidly expanding movement aimed at addressing the environmental impact of single use plastics. The Plasticwise movement first grew out of a meeting held by Indigo Shire Council in 2016 which was aimed at reducing plastic waste in the shire. Among those at the meeting was one of Plasticwise’s founders, Francesa Ciantar of Yackandandah, and Karen Nankervis of Beechworth. Karen, now a co-chair of Plasticwise Beechworth, said that the meeting helped spur on her drive to reduce the use of single use plastic in the community, a resolve that was strengthened after she watched such documentaries as The War on Waste and websites including Plastic Pollution Solution. She said that single use plastic had some of the biggest impacts on the environment of all waste, with culprits including shopping bags, plastic water and other drink bottles, straws, disposable coffee cups, and balloons. “There’s whole beaches overseas that are just full of plastic bottles, and plastic stuff,” she said, adding that ocean fish was also being contaminated by ingesting microplastics from their environment,” Karen said.
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GARDEN HINTS
PET CARE
WINE TALK
TECH & SCIENCE
WITH MANDI
WITH ABBEY
WITH ANITA
WITH CHRIS
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