Meeting papers

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING                                          9 DECEMBER 2025


7.1         SINGLE USE COFFEE CUPS PROGRAM


Author             Climate Change Officer, Sion Zivetz
                   Strategy & Sustainability | Strategy and Environment
Index              21.31 Sustainability
                   60.11 Waste recycling
                   71.04 Sustainable Tourism
                   45.16 Waste Management
Attachments        1.   Attachment 1 - Re-Use in NOOSA - IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On 19 June 2025, Council endorsed a Notice of Motion to work in partnership with Tourism Noosa’s
Plastic Free Noosa Program to drive a voluntary shift away from single-use coffee cups across the
shire. The motion called for a simple, scalable plan focused on education, business support, and
behaviour change, for Council to lead by example in its own operations, and for a report outlining
implementation costs for consideration.

The transition from single use plastics has been underway for many years with Noosa Shire adopting
its first Plastic Free program pre-Covid. Through the environment grants program, Council has also
funded Tourism Noosa for a number of years to roll out the Plastic Free Noosa program.

Whilst Council has an ambition to lead by example, single use coffee cups at Council facilities remain
at an investigative stage with the first trial underway at the café at the Noosa Aquatic Centre.
It is acknowledged that single use food and beverage items, like coffee cups, do not represent a
large volume of waste to landfill. However, they are an iconic, highly visible waste item that can serve
as a catalyst for the transition away from generating waste after only one use of new material.

The transition requires behaviour change from both businesses and consumers. While not every
business will be ready for the transition, it is proposed to work with the willing to begin to build a
culture of reuse that is accessible and affordable for customers and businesses alike.

Together with Council staff, Plastic Free Noosa has outlined an action plan for reducing single use
coffee cups in three phases which, if supported, requires a small budget allocation and Council staff
time of approximately 2-3hrs per week over the next six months. This program will continue to be led
by the Plastic Free Noosa program – part of Tourism Noosa – with support from Council staff.

It is proposed to work closely with Tourism Noosa to prioritise the $5600.00 required to initiate the
program through their FY25-26 budget. Should the required amount of budget be unavailable, it is
recommended that potentially a small allocation of funds within Council’s existing sustainability
operational budget be utilised to support initiation of this program as it aligns with the endorsed
Climate Change Response Plan, Environment Strategy, and From Waste to Resource Plan.

This project is seen as a simple yet potentially impactful way for Council and the community
to demonstrate and support its genuine commitment to sustainability, turning everyday habits into a
visible, tangible symbol of a destination that values both the natural environment and the long-term
impact of its consumption. This will showcase Noosa as a leader in its commitment to sustainability
and reducing waste to landfill by supporting the rollout of reusables via this program.

The proposed approach can be achieved in the coming 6 months, noting Plastic Free program is
grant funded by Council for a 3 year period and this grant finishes end June 2026.




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