Dear Bondi Pavilion...
I attended the highly enjoyable and inspirational Flickerfest at the Bondi Pavilion, only to watch many plastic "bio" cups blow off with the wind. Unfortunately, these biodegradable plastics have been inaccurately marketed as a solution to disposable plastics which plague our oceans.
I'm sure the Pavilion and Flickerfest, both of which benefit from their prime real estate will be open to my suggestions to allow us to keep our beers in their glass or at least invest in some reusable cups.
Read and/or share my letter!
FLiCKEREST; Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach, Sydney Australia
coordinator@flickerfest.com.au
Dear FlickerFest,
Last night I attended the Best of Australian 6, the 6th of six programmes featuring the best of Australian short films in competition. It was an incredible show of talent. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and thank you whole heartedly for making such a culturally rich event so accessible here in Bondi.
I have one bit of feedback or perhaps more of a request. As your location is picturesquely positioned 10 meters from the beach, it worries me that the beverages purchased at the bar are transferred into plastic cups for the outdoor viewing. I am aware that you are using biodegradable plastic cups, however, the latest scientific research finds that they do not properly break down in the natural environment—in particular the ocean. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) argues that these are not a solution for reducing the impact of marine litter; when you see “biodegradable” on a cup or plastic bag, that does not mean if you drop it in the streets, it’s just going to disappear. For these materials to properly biodegrade, they require precise conditions such as being in an industrial compost that reaches over 50 degrees celsius for a prolonged amount of time. When things are marked “biodegradable,” but look like plastic, people get confused about how to dispose of their trash. Many cups end up in the recycling bin, slowing down a system that is already less than 5% effective. If biodegradable plastics enter the ocean, they will remain there for long periods of time threatening sea life who inevitably mistake it for food or accidentally ingest the stuff in areas where the ocean is thick with trash. (Have you seen the video of the turtle with a straw up it’s nose?!)
A study from Michigan State University published Feb, 2015 found that between 4.8 and 12.7 million METRIC TONS of plastic made it’s way into the ocean in 2010 from over 190 coastal countries. The ocean has been treated as a dump for too long and humans have obliviously neglected our duty to keep the shores free of trash.
During dramatic pauses and still moments throughout the films, I cringed hearing the wind sweep people’s empty plastic cups “away.” New cups were handed out with every beverage, but who was monitoring the waste from the event? Ultimately, your cups WILL biodegrade, but it could take a hundred years! Are we not clever enough to innovate better solutions than to continue feeding a disposable system that has proven itself broken? Or at least hugely damaging to the marine eco-system.
If we are trusted enough to take our alcohol outside, I would hope we could be trusted not to break the glass if that is the concern. Your audience here predominantly lives at the beach, so they would appreciate a local business taking it upon themselves to prevent marine debris with some creative solutions. Since we are locals, perhaps you could give a discount to those who bring their own reusable cup or invest in a set of stainless steel reusable cups for the Pavilion to use for future events. You can factor in a deposit that people get back when they return the cup to prevent them from getting stolen.
I appreciate your consideration and I look forward to your response.
Thank you,
Kate
Save the Mermaids, USA
Surfrider Foundation, AUS
Blue Bondi Green Committee Member; Waverley Council
Bondi Pavilion; Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach
Dear Bondi Pavilion,
Last night I attended the Best of Australian 6, the 6th of six programmes featuring the best of Australian short films in competition at your lovely establishment. It was an incredible show of talent. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and thank you whole heartedly for making such a culturally rich event so accessible here in Bondi.
I have one bit of feedback or perhaps more of a request. As your location is picturesquely positioned 10 meters from the beach, it worries me that the beverages purchased at the bar are transferred into plastic cups for the outdoor viewing. I am aware that you are using biodegradable plastic cups, however, the latest scientific research finds that they do not properly break down in the natural environment—in particular the ocean. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) argues that these are not a solution for reducing the impact of marine litter; when you see “biodegradable” on a cup or plastic bag, that does not mean if you drop it in the streets, it’s just going to disappear. For these materials to properly biodegrade, they require precise conditions such as being in an industrial compost that reaches over 50 degrees celsius for a prolonged amount of time. When things are marked “biodegradable,” but look like plastic, people get confused about how to dispose of their trash. Many cups end up in the recycling bin, slowing down a system that is already less than 5% effective. If biodegradable plastics enter the ocean, they will remain there for long periods of time threatening sea life who inevitably mistake it for food or accidentally ingest the stuff in areas where the ocean is thick with trash. (Have you seen the video of the turtle with a straw up it’s nose?!)
A study from Michigan State University published Feb, 2015 found that between 4.8 and 12.7 million METRIC TONS of plastic made it’s way into the ocean in 2010 from over 190 coastal countries. The ocean has been treated as a dump for too long and humans have obliviously neglected our duty to keep the shores free of trash.
During dramatic pauses and still moments throughout the films, I cringed hearing the wind sweep people’s empty plastic cups “away.” New cups were handed out with every beverage, but who was monitoring the waste from the event? Ultimately, your cups WILL biodegrade, but it could take a hundred years! Are we not clever enough to innovate better solutions than to continue feeding a disposable system that has proven itself broken? Or at least hugely damaging to the marine eco-system.
If we are trusted enough to take our alcohol outside, I would hope we could be trusted not to break the glass if that is the concern. Your audience here predominantly lives at the beach, so they would appreciate a local business taking it upon themselves to prevent marine debris with some creative solutions. Since we are locals, perhaps you could give a discount to those who bring their own reusable cup or invest in a set of stainless steel reusable cups for the Pavilion to use for future events. You can factor in a deposit that people get back when they return the cup to prevent them from getting stolen.
I appreciate your consideration and I look forward to your response.
Thank you,
Kate
Save the Mermaids, USA
Surfrider Foundation, AUS
Blue Bondi Green Committee Member; Waverley Council