Australian beaches going plastic free

14 October 2022

The Albanese Labor Government has teamed up with the Boomerang Alliance to take Australia’s beaches one step closer to being plastic free through its new $600,000 Plastic Free Beaches program. 

The Boomerang Alliance has been funded to support local cafés and businesses near some of Australia’s busiest and most famous beaches to eliminate single-use plastics.

The program focuses on eliminating items which make up the majority of Australia’s litter – coffee cups and lids, straws, takeaway containers, plastic bags, and plastic beverage bottles. Food retailers are given tailored assistance to eliminate single-use plastics and switch to reusable or 100 per cent compostable alternatives.

Local businesses that participate in the initiative are supported by a project manager who provides them with advice and connects them with suppliers of more sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics.

The program is being rolled out at some of Australia’s most popular and iconic beaches which draw thousands of locals and tourists every year. The areas include:

  • Port Douglas, Qld 
  • Port Lincoln, SA 
  • Darwin City Beaches, NT 
  • Mornington Peninsula, Vic 
  • Randwick, NSW 
  • Rottnest Island, WA 
  • South-eastern Tasmania
  • Jervis Bay/Sussex Inlet, NSW

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek:

“Australia has almost 12,000 beaches along our 60,000-kilometre coastline. We work, live and play near the water. Sadly, around 130,000 tonnes of waste plastic leaks into our marine environment each year.

“Experts have predicted that by 2050 the amount of plastic in our oceans will outweigh fish. It can take just a moment for plastic to enter the environment, but the environmental impacts last for centuries.

“The Government congratulates businesses that have already signed up and is calling on others to join the program, so they play their part in tackling the plastic litter problem and keeping iconic Aussie beaches plastic free.

“We are also encouraging all Australians to choose waste free options such as reusable coffee cups, reusable shopping bags and to buy loose fruit and vegetables instead of packaged items. These small changes can all make a huge difference.”