WA Plastic Free

Our Plastic Free Places program is hiring a Reusable Workplace Coordinator in Brisbane for an exciting new reuse focused program 😊 We're looking for someone with stakeholder consultation and behaviour change program experience. For the full job description and how to apply, head to the link in our bio. Applications close 25 August.

Local legends, General Public Food Co (Scarborough & Inglewood) are hosting a reusables only day next Tuesday July 18.

We are working with these reusable champs and aiming for ZERO single use coffee cups on the day.

We are asking for your support to make this day a success. Come down and grab a coffee (BYO cup or they have a mug library) and share this post on your socials.

Together we can eliminate the nasty single use coffee cup!

Cr Suzanne Migdale- City Of Stirling- Lawley Ward
Cr Michael Dudek - City of Stirling
City of Stirling

In honour of Plastic Free July, on the 18th of this month we will ONLY be using & supplying reusables cups for the whole day. 🫶🏻 This means your takeaway coffee will be poured either into your own BYO cup or a mug from our cup library. ❓How can you help us be 100% plastic cup free? ✅ BYO cup on the 18th (or any day really!) BIG thankyou ❤️ to everyone who has been bringing their reusable cups in or borrowing from our library already. We've been tracking our stores progress, swipe to see some interesting stats 👉🏻👀 We’ll be tracking these figures each week, so BYO and help us grow our reusable percentages. Remember when you BYO cup you get a discount on your coffee too.❤️ #hereforthehood #generalpublicfoodco

The Town of Bassendean would like to congratulate and celebrate The 5 Four Store for becoming the latest WA Plastic Free Champion!

These much-loved locals have named their store after the Bassendean postcode, 6054, and offer delicious coffee, freshly made meals and a curated selection of "stuff".

The 5 Four Store offers a warm and inviting space to relax and enjoy life's simple pleasures - such as a good ol' fashioned toastie, a continental roll or a slice of home-made cake.

They love it when you dine-in, but if you do have to rush off, they offer a mug library, and several reusable cup options as well as Ausstep reusable food containers.

Like all the WA Plastic Free Champions, The 5 Four Store does NOT sell single use plastic water bottles, but DO offer a water refill station.

The 5 Four Store are true champions and we could not be prouder to have them as one of our local cafés and members of the WA Plastic Free program.

For more information about WA Plastic Free visit www.waplasticfree.org

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Reuse Legends, General Public Food Co are at it again & showing other WA cafes how it’s done!

@generalpublicperth has joined our Reusable Champions program for July! The goal is to build better reuse habits together - for lasting sustainable change. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ General Public, across both of their locations in Scarborough and Inglewood will be working hard over the next few weeks to embed reusable culture into their operations and community. Every week we'll tally reusable vs single-use cups to see what habit-forming hacks work to remind the community to BYO. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ With your support they're hoping to increase the % of reuse and create lasting change & will be celebrating with a reusables only day on Tuesday 18 July. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The General Public team are known for their great service and coffee, delicious pizza & baked treats and their commitment to always improving on their sustainability. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ By participating in the Reusable Champion program, they're making a commitment to themselves and their community to encourage and facilitate reuse. They've also set up a cup library for anyone that forgets. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We're thrilled to have them on board as a Reusable Champion, especially during Plastic Free July! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You can support by heading to one of their locations with your BYO cup. Don't forget to share a photo of your experience and tag us @waplasticfree & @generalpublicperth

So true! We've always loved this metaphor. CR: @UseLessPlastic

Check out what the legends at General Public Food Co are up to!

Introducing the GP Cup Library ☕️🥤 As you know, we do our best to reduce single use plastic & packaging here at GP, and as a business we try to reduce our environmental impact where possible.♻️ Our dream is to phase out single use packaging, but we need your help - starting with our cup library! HOW IT WORKS: ➡️If you forget your reusable cup or decide you want to give the takeaway cup a miss, you can use one of our Cup Library cups! ➡️You pick your cup, order your coffee, take the cup with you & bring it back when you next visit. We will of course then wash the cups before next use however if you can please return yours already rinsed out that would be a great help. ➡️There will be no additional fee or deposit to use a cup from the library - we trust you'll bring it back, eventually! WANT TO DONATE TO OUR LIBRARY? ❤️ Any unwanted cups or mugs at home that are still in good condition can be donated to our library & we would love to have them! Drop them off next time you’re in. Help us reduce single use & borrow from our library. 👍🏻 #hereforthehood #generalpublicfoodco #perthcoffee #perthcoffeescene #perthcoffeeculture #perthmornings #perthcafe #perthcafescene #perthlife #perthrecycling #perthsustainability #cuplibrary #cuplibraryperth #reusablecup #plasticfree #singleuseplastic

Busselton, get ready! We are headed your way! We'll be heading south to assist local F&B businesses ditch single-use plastics and find better long term reusable solutions. In partnership with the @citybusselton, and thanks to funding from the state government, we're excited to be able to offer our 1:1 consultations with business owners from July 24-29. Businesses can now register ('join' link in our bio) to secure their consultation time over those dates. And if you know of any Busselton (& surrounds) businesses who might like to join, please tag them! We'll be visiting loads of other regional communities over the next two years, this is a WA program for all of WA! ☀️ #waplasticfree #plasticfreebusselton #waplanforplastics #plasticfreeplaces

Did you hear the news?

WA Plastic Free on Instagram: "Did you hear the news? On February 1 the WA government launched Stage 2 of the #planforplastics The following single use items are now BANNED and will be phased out over the next 12 to 18 months. 🚫Plastic and... 46 Likes, 2 Comments - WA Plastic Free () on Instagram: "Did you hear the news? On February 1 the WA government launched Stage 2 of the ..."

NEW Champion! 🏆Gage Roads @gageroadsfreo Gage Roads is known for its cold beer and good times, but you may not know that the folks behind this iconic brewery are sustainable legends too. Champions, in fact! Gage Roads loves the coast. The strip of ocean between Fremantle and Rottnest inspired their brewery and their care for the ocean runs deep. Protecting it is important to them and they are committed to doing their bit. They offer a huge dine-in space which means it is easy to grab a table by the water & watch the iconic container ships go by. Any takeaway packaging they do offer is compostable. Like all Champions in our program, @gageroadsfreo DO NOT sell single use plastic water bottles but DO offer a water refill station where you can fill your own water bottle. They also encourage their customers to recycle their cans and bottles through Containers for Change @4changewa with links to your nearest refund point listed on their website! Gage Roads Fremantle is open every day from 11am & your doggos are welcome too! @gageroadsfreo are true champions - leading the charge and showing others how easy it is to make sustainable choices! Show them you appreciate their efforts and drop in sometime soon. @gageroadsfreo #plasticfreefremantle #riverparkproject #waplasticfree #noexcuseforsingleuse #plasticfreechampion

We love seeing reusable options in ALL forms! Check out this great mug library at Finns Cafe! Mug libraries are brilliant if you forget to BYO. Well done, legends! Absolutely

Esperance, we are headed your way!

We’re hiring!

Our @plasticfreecairns program is hiring a Program Coordinator in Cairns 🙂 The role is a part of the national Plastic Free Places initiative of the @boomerangalliance with Coordinators across Australia. It suits someone comfortable with a flexible working environment and team support delivered remotely. The role is part time, 22.5 hours a week but will also require occasional overnight travel (3-4 days per trip) in the FNQ region. For the full job description and how to apply, head to the link in our profile. Applications close 4.30pm (EST) 27th March

Esperance; we are headed your way!

We'll be heading south to assist local F&B businesses ditch single-use plastics and find better long term reusable solutions.

In partnership with the , and thanks to funding from the state government, we're excited to be able to offer our 1:1 consultations with business owners from May 29 to June 2. Businesses can now register ('join' link in our bio) to secure their consultation time over those dates.

And if you know of any Esperance business who might like to join, please tag them!

We'll be visiting loads of other regional communities over the next two years, this is a WA program for all of WA! ☀️

Celebrating another champion cafe.

NEW Champion! 🏆 General Public Food Co. General Public Food Co]]]

If you love good pizza, good beer and good vibes, then you've probably been to General Public Food Co]]]

With locations in Inglewood and Scarborough, are the kind of neighbours we all wish we had!

These legends not only make great pizzas, but they also make sustainable choices.

The no longer give a lid out as "standard" with their takeaway coffees. If you want a lid, you can ask, but we find most people don't really need a lid for their coffee!

All takeaway packaging is compostable, they have eliminated single-use straws altogether & they collect for .

They DO NOT sell single-use water bottles but DO offer a water refill station where you can fill your own water bottle.

General Public Food Co. offers a funky dine-in space after 11:30am and a takeaway coffee window from 6am where they encourage BYO & sell reusable coffee cups. Keep an eye out for a mug library & reusable cup network in the future too😉!

General Public Food Co]]] are true champions - leading the charge and showing others how easy it is to make sustainable choices!

Show them you appreciate their efforts and drop in sometime soon.

General Public Food Co]]]

NEW Champion! 🏆 General Public Food Co. General Public Food Co]]]

If you love good pizza, good beer and good vibes, then you've probably been to General Public Food Co]]]

With locations in Inglewood and Scarborough, are the kind of neighbours we all wish we had!

These legends not only make great pizzas, but they also make sustainable choices.

The no longer give a lid out as "standard" with their takeaway coffees. If you want a lid, you can ask, but we find most people don't really need a lid for their coffee!

All takeaway packaging is compostable, they have eliminated single-use straws altogether & they collect for .

They DO NOT sell single-use water bottles but DO offer a water refill station where you can fill your own water bottle.

General Public Food Co. offers a funky dine-in space after 11:30am and a takeaway coffee window from 6am where they encourage BYO & sell reusable coffee cups. Keep an eye out for a mug library & reusable cup network in the future too😉!

General Public Food Co]]] are true champions - leading the charge and showing others how easy it is to make sustainable choices!

Show them you appreciate their efforts and drop in sometime soon.

General Public Food Co]]]

Want to let your customers know you support reusables and encourage dine-in?

Want some FREE signage for your business?

Last year we gave out a number of these beautiful A5 posters to cafes that want their community to know - reusables are A-OK! 👍

These FREE posters help customers remember their reusable cup & let customers know a cafe accepts reusables and encourages dine-in.

Promoting reusables (and dine-in!) to customers in this way not only saves single-use items from going to landfill, but also helps small businesses save money 💵. The less packaging is used, the less money is needed to be spent to buy more!

These posters are available to any café in WA that would like them (until we run out of stock). Comment below if you are a café that would like some, or tag your favourite spot if you are a customer and want to see your local cafes have these posters 😍.

And if you're a café that struggles with the volume of reusables when the times are busy - send us a message, we have some clever solutions to share with you.

Normalising reusables, version 2023! 🤘

NEW Champion 🏆 Inner Bean Coffee Van Inner Bean mobile coffee van]

Inner Bean Coffee Van are not your average mobile coffee vendor. These legends have completely eliminated single-use coffee cups (& lids) and do not sell single-use plastic water bottles at all!!

How, you might ask, can a mobile vendor make these changes? Simple. They offer a mug library for those wishing to linger under the shady trees & enjoy the tranquillity of Gilbert Fraser Reserve in North Fremantle.

They accept and sell reusable cups.

They offer takeaway "keep cups" for those who are getting their steps up along the river and need to keep on the move. All they ask is that you return it next time you visit 😉

The serve all their delicious food on gorgeous, thrifted serving trays and, thanks to grant funding from the Department of Biodiversity and Attractions, they now offer FREE ice cold water and encourage you to refill your water bottle!

Feedback from customers has been incredible with a surge in business lately as word gets out about this Champion cafe.

If a mobile vendor can eliminate single-use, any business can. Interested to learn how? Get in touch with us and we can show you how.

And next time you are in North Fremantle, stop in and say hello to Julie and John. Local legends who are leading the way with reusables and avoiding waste wherever they can!

Inner Bean mobile coffee van]

WA is waving an enthusiastic goodbye to single-use plastic coffee cups and lids, it's official 👋

From the 27th February a range of single-use items will officially be on the chopping block in WA, with various transition periods for different items.

Coffee cups and their dreaded polystyrene lids is one such item. They will be transitioned out over the next 12 months, but we know most smart proactive businesses have already phased them out.

This second phase of the single-use plastic bans also includes: microbeads, expanded polystyrene cups, cotton buds, degradable (aka oxydegradable) plastics, produce bags, unlidded trays, lids for bowls, plates, trays and containers (excluding pre-packaged food) & loose-fill expanded polystyrene, moulded expanded polystyrene. We'll put a link in our bio for more info.

Are you happy to see the backs of these wasteful, useless, pesky cups?

Also a big shoutout to our Reusable Champion cafe .manna for hosting the Minister's announcement today. You guys rock! 🙏

We're taking a much needed break over the Christmas & New Year's period after a rather big year. I'm sure you can relate 💚

Next year is going to be even bigger for our program, so we're going to use the next couple of weeks to get ourselves recharged and ready for it.

This means we won't be replying to comments or DMs, or sharing for the next few weeks. We will respond to everything after the 9th of January.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year - let's celebrate the wins we've collectively had 🙌 and continue to strive towards new heights in next year ✊

Check out this amazing guy & support him if you can!

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Our Plastic Free SA program is hiring a Program Coordinator in Adelaide 😁

The role is a part of the national Plastic Free Places initiative of the Boomerang Alliance with Coordinators across Australia. It suits someone comfortable with a flexible working environment and team support delivered remotely.

For the full job description and how to apply, head to https://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/BoomerangAlliance/plastic-free-community-coordinator-adelaide

Waste is a human invention and a relatively new one at that. Since the 1970s humanity has become especially addicted to ‘disposability’🫤

But change is coming 👏 We’re living through a pretty transformational time and it's important to be aware and prepared so together we can build a better future 🌱👣

We all know that waste was invented for our convenience. It reduced dishes and made items cheaper with lower quality products. But underlying that convenience is a system that requires fossil fuels 😔 and is causing us widespread systemic issues both socially and environmentally.

Are you ready for the transition to a zero-waste society? Our mission is to help the hospitality sector adapt, lead and thrive through the changes!

“A continuation of business as usual would mean not just a slight additional strain but an inevitable crisis.” - Paul Polman, former CEO Unilever. Quote from the book The Future of Packaging by Tom Szaky.

This is brilliant, Inner Bean Coffee Van!!

Give the gift of plastic-free this Christmas 🎄

As we quickly approach the festive season let's choose to do it differently this year, in terms of waste and consumption.

They say ‘tis the season to be jolly but what if it could also be the season to reduce our plastic dependence?

One easy way to start is in your giving of gifts. There are many options that make beautiful presents while also encouraging good habits in your work colleagues, friends and family.

Here are our top 10 plastic-free alternatives to put under the Christmas tree and get your whole family ready for a more thoughtful 2023 ☺️

Or even better, if you want to eliminate 'stuff' from your give giving altogether, considering a donation gift to a charity or a voucher to a meaningful low impact experience for your loved one ❤️

Want to join our Plastic Free Places team here at ? 😁

Our WA program has lots of projects on the go and we need more hands on deck, so we're hiring another Program Coordinator in Perth 🙌

The role is a part of the national Plastic Free Places initiative of the , with Coordinators across Australia. It suits someone comfortable with a flexible working environment and team support delivered remotely. The role is part time (15 - 22.5 hours a week).

For the full job description and how to apply: https://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/BoomerangAlliance/plastic-free-community-coordinator-perth

Shortlisting will commence as applications are submitted, and online (Zoom) interviews will commence the week of December 5th. The job ad will be removed early if a suitable applicant is found.

Position commences from 3 January.

Last week we celebrated Reusables Day at

It was incredible to see the support for reusables amongst the staff and customers!

By normalising dining in, BYO cups and borrowing from the cup library, got single use cups down to just 2%!

140 coffees sold a day with 98% sold in reusable cups is simply OUTSTANDING. It shows you what is possible - with a little effort.

Well done, - we think you’re amazing!

Reusables Day week 1 results

Week one down, two to go!

The support from the community has been AMAZING with a huge uptick in the number of customers who are choosing to order their takeaway coffee in a mug from the FREE cup library.

This is such a simple way to reduce single use, which has already gone down to just 10%!

Brilliant effort 👏

We could not be prouder of the staff and customers at !

Things are looking good for Thursday October 13th, when we are aiming for ZERO single use cups sold and 💯reusables/dine in.

Watch this space for week 2 results.

Exciting announcement 🌟

We are holding a Reusable Day with in the DBCA Building at Technology Park, Kensington.

Working directly with and The Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), we are going to normalise the heck out of reusables!

What exactly is a we hear you ask?
Well, it's a day when you use your own cup for takeaway - pretty simple really!

Don't worry if you forget your reusable cup. has you covered with a mug library, .co reusable cup network and reusable cups for sale in the cafe. Legends!

needs your support to make this a success. They're on a mission to make it as easy as possible for the community to reuse, so no excuse for single-use friends!

Mark October 13th in your diary & show your support for the !

Please welcome the latest addition to our Plastic Free Champion family, The Tribute Coffee and Kitchen , a part of Plastic Free Riverpark Project! 🏆

What a great feeling, to walk into a cafe and find no plastic around whatsoever! The Tribute use all biodegradable packaging, which can be composted right there in one of their special bins from WRITE Solutions Australia . They also have no plastic water bottles and a water refill station for guests 💧

The Tribute Coffee + Kitchen are located walking distance from the picturesque Shelley foreshore, where you can take your coffee and enjoy the serenity 🛶. And by having no single-use plastic packaging and a good waste management system, The Tribute makes sure none of that nasty plastic ends up in our river. What a fantastic job, guys!

Drop by, have a sit down with your coffee and support your local champions! Father's day is coming up - here's your recommendation to take your Dads for a treat ☕️

Please welcome our new Plastic Free Champion 🏆 - Discovery Rottnest Island on Wadjemup (Rottnest Island, Western Australia)! 🏝

If you are looking for a slightly different Rottnest experience - choose glamping accommodation with Discovery ⛺️! They have an access to iconic Pinky Beach with a beautiful lighthouse (as seen on the picture), a lovely bar (Pinky's Rottnest Island) with a view and a swimming pool!

Discovery are steadily moving towards sustainable goals and already eliminated all of the takeaway food and drink plastics. Come and support them while enjoying the views, the beach, the little quokkas jumping around and the whole Wadjemup experience! ⛱

They are also transitioning away from small plastic bottles of shampoo and soap in their accommodation and provide only glass water bottles to their guests.

Let's keep supporting the businesses that are doing the right thing and are moving away from unnecessary plastics towards more sustainable practices!

Plastic Free July is about creating sustainable habits to reduce plastic waste that we can continue throughout the year. It could be as simple as switching to BYO cups, containers and bags, which are impactful ways to create real change in the circular economy. Any move away from single-use plastics is a win. As we know, most plastics end up in landfill or as litter and damage our waterways and harm wildlife.

Our Coordinators wanted to take it a step further this month by setting themselves a 'pledge' specific to their projects around Australia. Our team is committed to educating and empowering local food retailers, helping them transition away from single-use plastics to more sustainable alternatives.

Scroll through their pledges above!

The collective effort from all our projects around Australia this Plastic Free July (and every other month too) will help create the transformative change we need, and create positive behaviour change along the way too.

What are you pledging this Plastic Free July?
Let's reduce and reuse not just this July, but every month as well!


Clean Up Australia

While there have always been questions around the acceptance of reusables and their potential contamination risks, since the onset of the pandemic concerned business owners have also questioned their use based on misinformation around safety, arbitrary rules and regulations and a fear of fines from regulatory bodies.

So we feel it necessary to debunk some common myths and provide some facts and suggestions to help business owners feel confident in their acceptance of reusable items.

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If you'd like to increase reusable usage with your community (as a business), let them know you support a culture of reuse and encourage them to bring their clean BYO cups and containers. You can do this through signage, media/social media promotions, and just chatting with them about it!

We have some great signage options you can download for free (link in profile). Or you can sign up to our Reusable Champion program, where we work with you 1:1 over a month to engage your customers in reuse habit/behaviour change.

We have a new Plastic Free Champion on board - Crystal Swan Charters! 🦢

Have you seen a glass cube floating around Swan River on balmy evenings? That's Crystal Swan! You can have your event (birthday, wedding, work function - whatever it is) with them and have it plastic free. 🎂🥂🍾💍

Crystal Swan do not use any plastics when catering for events, which may not seem easy, but it is possible and such a great way to reduce the amount of waste generated!

If you are planning a celebration, choose a business that is actively avoiding single-use plastics and is dedicated to promoting sustainability. 🌏

Please welcome our new Plastic Free Champion Jetty Bar & Eats!🏆 You won't find any single-use plastics here and, honestly, it looks great!

The bar is located in an iconic space between two bridges in the City of Fremantle, overlooking the meeting place of the Swan River and the Ocean. Sit down, have a glass of vino 🍷 and watch the boats 🚤 and dolphins🐬 go by.

It's great to see when spots like Jetty Bar & Eats create an atmosphere where you want to stay and soak in the atmosphere, so there is no need to rush and get your food & drink on the go. Dining in is the best way to get rid of unnecessary disposable plastics!