Plastic Police® in the running for prestigious sustainability award
Plastic Police® was announced as a Finalist in the Banksia Sustainability Awards for the Small Business Category.
The Banksia Foundation has today announced the shortlist for the awards, which spans 10 categories and celebrates sustainable development by businesses, communities, individuals and governments.
The Banksia Sustainability Awards are regarded as the most prestigious and longest-running sustainability awards in Australia and the world.
Director and Founder of Plastic Police®, Samantha Cross said, “We are honoured to receive this recognition and are thankful to our partners and participants for their incredible support along this journey.”
Plastic Police® is a recycling and engagement program tackling the issue of soft plastic waste. Soft plastics have low rates of recycling and can’t be placed in kerbside recycling bins, meaning it ends up in landfill or as litter where it causes environmental pollution and harms wildlife.
Plastic Police® provides a circular economy solution to soft plastic waste to organisations and councils in NSW. The program collects soft plastics from these organisations for recycling into products, such as benches, wheel stops and asphalt, which are purchased by participants to ‘close the loop’ on what they collect. Plastic Police® has diverted 240 tonnes of soft plastic from landfill, which is the equivalent of 60 million plastic bags.
Plastic Police® is the only program of its kind in Australia. Its mission is to empower communities to rethink, better manage and ultimately reduce soft plastics, keeping it out of landfills and the environment.
The prestigious Banksia Sustainability awards are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of global goals to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and protect the planet.
Established more than 30 years ago, the Banksia Sustainability Awards are the first and foremost sustainability awards in Australia. The awards recognise individuals, communities, businesses and government for innovation and excellence in environmental and social stewardship.
Winners in each category will be announced at a gala ceremony at the Hyatt Regency, Sydney, on Tuesday, 3 December 2019.
