Supplementary Agenda (Open Portion)

Council Meeting

Page 2

21/11/2016

ALDERMEN COCKER and HARVEY

Motion:

“That:    1.    A report be prepared on amendments to the Health and Environmental Services By-law 2008 (or other relevant policy area) to examine the effectiveness of a phase out and subsequent ban on non-compostable single-use food packaging in reducing the impacts of plastic on human health, biodiversity and ocean ecology.

2.    The report include a time line for implementation of appropriate measures by 2020.

3.    The report also address the requirement for retailers to phase out the sale of identified problem plastic items and replace them with more appropriate items to reduce domestic single-use of plastics.

Rationale:

Plastic pollution is now widely recognised as a major threat to human health, biodiversity and ocean ecology. Much of the disposable items society uses, ends up as landfill, but much becomes litter that makes its way to the ocean, where over time it breaks down into smaller digestible pieces. It is well understood that this is a threat to marine and sea bird species and also human health as it bio-accumulates its way through the food chain.

Plastics and micro plastics are found in all parts of the world including remote beaches in Tasmania. The South West Marine Debris Clean-up has been documenting the issue for the last 14 years and have collected and recorded enormous amounts of data.

The Australian not-for-profit Tangaroablue has been running an inventory and collecting data on marine pollution since 2004 and estimate there are more than 18,000 pieces of plastic in every square kilometre of ocean.

Source: www.tangaroablue.org

UNESCO see marine pollution as a serious threat to biodiversity and human health.

“Marine plastic pollution poses a direct threat to the balance of marine ecosystems and human health. Plastic has direct and indirect negative impacts on biodiversity, and as plastic waste enters the food chain through unsuspecting channels such as micro-particles, an environmental issue transforms into a major challenge to human health and livelihood. It has therefore become essential to better understand the causes and effects of marine plastic pollution, in order to take effective action towards reducing its impacts. Preserving ocean health means preserving human well-being.”

Source: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-oceans-day-2016/resources/plastic-pollution/

The US not-for-profit ‘Plastic Pollution Coalition’ is another organisation that has been raising awareness and calling for action for a number of years. The following information is an informative overview and applicable to Australia. http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/

Why is plastic harmful?

Plastic never goes away.

Plastic is a durable material made to last forever, yet illogically, 33 percent of it is used once and then thrown away.

Plastic cannot biodegrade; it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. Disposed plastic materials can remain in the environment for up to 2,000 years and longer.

Source: DiGregorio, Barry E. "Biobased Performance Bioplastic: Mirel," Chemistry & Biology 2009    

Plastic spoils our groundwater.

There are thousands of landfills in the United States [and Australia]. Buried beneath each one of them, plastic leachate full of toxic chemicals is seeping into groundwater and flowing downstream into lakes and rivers.

There are long-term risks of contamination of soils and groundwater by some additives and breakdown by-products in plastics, which can become persistent organic pollutants.

Source: Hopewell, Jefferson; Dvorak, Robert; Kosior, Edward. "Plastics Recycling: Challenges and Opportunities," Biological Sciences 14 June 2009

Plastic attracts other pollutants.

Manufacturers' additives in plastics, like flame retardants, BPAs and PVCs, can leach their own toxicants. These oily poisons repel water and stick to petroleum-based objects like plastic debris.

Fish, exposed to a mixture of polyethylene with chemical pollutants absorbed from the marine environment, bioaccumulate these chemical pollutants and suffer liver toxicity and pathology.

Source: Rochman, Chelsea "Ingested Plastic Transfers Hazardous Chemicals to Fish and Induces Hepatic Stress," Scientific Reports 2013

Plastic threatens wildlife.

Entanglement, ingestion and habitat disruption all result from plastic ending up in the spaces where animals live. In our oceans alone, plastic debris outweighs zooplankton by a ratio of 36-to-1.

Over 260 species, including invertebrates, turtles, fish, seabirds and mammals, have been reported to ingest or become entangled in plastic debris, resulting in impaired movement and feeding, reduced reproductive output, lacerations, ulcers and death.

Source: Thompson, Richard C.; Moore, Charles J.; vom Saal, Frederick S.; Swan, Shanna H. "Plastics, the Environment and Human Health: Current Consensus and Future Trends," Biological Sciences 14 June 2009 

Plastic piles up in the environment.

Americans discard more than 30 million tons of plastic a year. Only 8 percent of that gets recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, is incinerated, or becomes the invasive species known as 'litter.’

More than 5 trillion plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at sea.

Source: Eriksen, Marcus; Lebreton, Laurent C. M.; Carson, Henry S.; Thiel, Martin; Moore, Charles J.; Borerro, Jose C.; Galgani, Francois; Ryan, Peter G.; Reisser, Julia. "Plastic Pollution in the World's Oceans," PLoS One 10 Dec. 2014

Plastic poisons our food chain.

Even plankton, the tiniest creatures in our oceans, are eating microplastics and absorbing their toxins. The substance displaces nutritive algae that creatures up the food chain require.

Contaminated plastics when ingested by marine species present a credible route by which the POPs can enter the marine food web.

Source: Andrady, Anthony L. "Microplastics in the Marine Environment," Marine Pollution Bulletin 2011

Plastic affects human health.

Chemicals leached by plastics are in the blood and tissue of nearly all of us. Exposure to them is linked to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption and other ailments.

Two broad classes of plastic-related chemicals are of critical concern for human health—bisphenol-A or BPA, and additives used in the synthesis of plastics, which are known as phthalates.

Source: "Perils of Plastics: Risks to Human Health and the Environment," Arizona State University Biodesign Institute 18 March 2010.

Plastic costs billions to abate.

Everything suffers: tourism, recreation, business, the health of humans, animals, fish and birds—because of plastic pollution. The financial damage continuously being inflicted is inestimable.

The overall natural capital cost of plastic use in the consumer goods sector each year is US$75 billion.

Source: United Nations Environment Programme "Plastic Waste Causes Financial Damage of US$13 Billion to Marine”

The City of Hobart already insists that compostable packaging is used at the Taste Festival and many food vans and cafes operating in Hobart would already comply with such a regulation.

Nevertheless, numerous food outlets still continue to use throw-a-way plastic containers and other single use plastic items.

Insisting that compostable packaging is used across the city seems a logical step in reducing plastic consumption and pollution.

It would demonstrate our commitment to reducing non-organic waste from being created and support the councils Zero Waste to Landfill Strategy 2030.

In September this year France, announced that it would introduce a ban on all disposable plastic dishes, cups and utensils. This is a groundbreaking initiative and they are to be congratulated.

While France may be the first country to act, many cities across the USA have also introduced local regulations to prevent plastics and Styrofoam pollution.

Hobart City would not be a pioneer in this area globally, but could set the ball rolling in Australia to curb a major source of plastic pollution.”

The General Manager reports:

“In line with the Council’s policy in relation to Notices of Motion, I advise that the matter is considered to be within the jurisdiction of the Hobart City Council as it aligns with Goal 3.2 of the Capital City Strategic Plan 2015 - 2025, Strong environmental stewardship.”

That:   1.    The Draft McRobies Gully Waste Management Centre Good Neighbour Agreement, marked as Attachment A to item 6.1 of the Open City Infrastructure Committee agenda of 16 November 2016, be endorsed and released for public comment.

2.    Following the public comment period, the final Agreement be submitted to the Council for adoption.

That the Council endorse the amendments to the policy titled Road Naming, as shown in revisions format in Attachment D to item 6.2 of the Open City Infrastructure Committee agenda of 16 November 2016.

That:  1.     The Council endorse the continuation of those projects currently proposed at the intersection of D’Arcy Street, Washington Street and Macquarie Streets, South Hobart, as programmed.

2.    The organiser of the petition be notified of the Council’s decision.