Plastic Free Options

It is important to understand the difference between degradable, biodegradable and compostable.

When seeking suitable products, we advocate for our members to choose REUSABLE wherever possible. Where this is not possible or feasible, we advocate for 100% certified compostable* products. When choosing these products, we prefer the use of natural, wooden, paper or cane products. The other option is bioplastics. Bioplastics are compostable but need a commercial composter to decompose. They will not easily decompose in the marine environment and present similar risks to marine wildlife as other plastic litter.

Bioplastics also do not break down in landfill. The advantage of bioplastics over ordinary plastics is that they are made from vegetable and plants products, not fossil fuels. We encourage Waverley council to create a commercial composting collection and processing service for the Waverley area.

*Note the term compostable can be misleading. Some products that are labelled compostable are not 100% compostable containing a mix of compostable and non-compostable materials. Others labelled biodegradable or degradable are simply traditional plastic products with additities in them so they break up more quickly. Always ensure you ar purchasing 100% certified compostable

Resources

  • Biome is a reputable company that sells a large range of sustainable and environmentally safe goods: https://www.biome.com.au/
  • Who Gives a Crap sell toilet paper, tissues and towel rolls made from environmentally friendly materials and donate 50% of their profits to build toilets for those in need. https://au.whogivesacrap.org/
  • Boomerang Bags make, sell and lend bags and other useful products, to reduce single use plastic. https://boomerangbags.org/
  • Sol Cups' keep cup, is a locally produced product to help in the war against takeaway coffee cups. https://solcups.com/
  • Sharewaste is an initiative to reduce compostable landfill from suburban households https://sharewaste.com/

If you know of any other websites that fit this category, please let us know and we will add it to our list.