What we’re doing
Australians love the great outdoors and we save a special place in our hearts for our oceans. From surf beaches to spectacular coral reefs, to Sydney Harbour which is the stunning backdrop for the Twilight at Taronga Concert series.
Twilight at Taronga proudly supports the Litter Free Oceans initiative, which aims to protect our marine life and oceans. The majority of litter comes from items designed to be used just once. Fortunately there are reusable alternatives to almost every disposable product. One person can make a huge difference every single day when it comes to plastic pollution. Choose to reuse today!
Plastic is so integrated into our daily routines, it’s hard to know where to begin when it comes to reducing it. Visit Taronga’s impact calculator to see how many single-use items like take-away coffee cups, straws and bottles you can save from landfill or our environment every year, simply by swapping them for reusable alternatives. If every person replaced disposable with reusable, these small actions add up to create a world of change for marine turtles and our oceans.
Google search ‘Litter Free Oceans’ and try our impact calculator today.
Every piece of plastic ever created still exists somewhere
Disposable coffee cups
- Appear to be made of paper, but the majority have a thin plastic lining making them unrecyclable.
- Aussies use one billion of these disposable cups every year.
- If every Australian used a reusable cup, they would save around one billion single-use coffee cups from landfill every year.
Plastic Bottles
- While most are recyclable, currently only one in every five plastic bottles actually makes it into the recycling stream.
- If every Australian chose to use a reusable water bottle they could each save around 129 single-use bottles from landfill every year.
- Please dispose of plastic bottles properly, and be sure to utilise the NSW Government Return and Earn collection points to get a refund for your containers and keep them out of the ocean.
Takeaway Containers
- Are 24% of litter volume in NSW.
- Takeaway containers and other food packaging such as cling wrap or polystyrene often end up in the ocean, eventually breaking up into smaller and smaller pieces. Meals-on-the-go may be convenient for us, but the rubbish can pose serious threats to marine life and our oceans.
- To help reduce packaging:
- Make lunch the night before, being prepared means you’re not caught out buying takeaway food
- Bring your own reusable container or lunchbox – often takeaway shops are happy to use yours
- Use a reusable container or beeswax wraps as an alternative to cling wrap for sandwiches and fruit