A Brisbane mum is taking significant steps to make Queensland plastic-free, including Brisbane suburbs such as The Gap. Her efforts started a year earlier than the implementation of the plastic shopping bag ban in the state which took effect on 1 July 2018.
After watching the documentary Plastic Ocean, Sarah Young set up a Facebook page called Plastic Sucks. Since then, she has started gathering support from politicians, ocean pollution campaigners, and Arlian Ecker who is also known as the Plastic Free Boy.
Enlisting Ecker’s support has become a significant part of their campaign. Ecker is a 12-year-old boy who lives in NSW and now has become a social phenomenon. According to Ms Young, with Ecker’s help, they get to target adults through their children.
Ms Young has also been talking to the Brisbane City Council to discuss how the schools in the city can integrate Arlian’s movie into the school programs. They are focusing on cafes, coffee shops, and schools to ban plastic straws and bags. She has also set up The Gap’s very own Plastic Sucks page, the Plastic Sucks 4061.
There will also be a first community clean up of the movement in The Gap on 2 September. The location is still to be announced.
Plastic Sucks is starting to spread across the country, with a spinoff group already established in Sydney. Ms Young is encouraging other suburbs to start their own Plastic Sucks Facebook groups wherein she will supply the social media profile page and they can do the rest.
It was in September 2017 when the Queensland legislation passed the ban for single-use plastic bags from being provided in supermarkets, pharmacies, online goods, takeaway stores, and markets.
Retailers who still use plastic bags after the implementation can face a fine of up to $6,307.50.