Encouraging An Industry-led Transition From Single-use Coffee Cups In Partnership With Plastic Free Noosa

Amelia Lorentson48:45

My gosh there's so many things that I'm passionate about and I've got to say it all revolves around Noosa and our community. So this motion again reflects something that I'm very quite passionate about. The notified motion is. Encourage a voluntary industry-led transition from single-use coffee cups in partnerships with the Tourism Noosa plastic-free Noosa program. That Council A: support Tourism Noosa's plastic-free Noosa program and work in close partnership with plastic-free Noosa to deliver a voluntary industry-led shift away from single-use coffee cups across the Shire. B: collaboratively develop with plastic-free Noosa a simple scalable plan focusing on education business support and behaviour change initiatives. C: that Council demonstrate leadership for the shift away from single-use coffee cups within its own operations and D: request a report to Council detailing any costs associated with the implementation of this initiative for Council consideration. And endorsement.

Amelia Lorentson83:07

We're failing right now, we're failing in our responsibility to leave this place better than we found it. I mentioned stats before, data, 1.8 billion coffee cups that are discarded across Australia. I'm going to just add a little bit of more data. Plastic production has. Surged from just 2 million tonnes in 1950. Again, 2 million tonnes in 1950 to 460 million tonnes in 2019. If current trends continue by 2050, the plastic in our oceans could outweigh the fish. When you look at those numbers, the scale of the problem can feel overwhelming. It's easy to ask, how do we stop this? The answer is, one action at a time. Small actions like the action of the snow notified divide motion. Small actions have been taken together create big change. Supporting a voluntary, industry-led shift away from single-use plastic is simple yet powerful step. It shows leadership, empowers local businesses, and helps build a culture of responsibility. The appetite to change is clearly growing as I've mentioned after ex-Cyclone Alfred we saw of hundreds and of residents out on our beaches from Teewah the North Shore all along our coastal eastern beaches. Kids were picking up plastic, kids were learning about microplastics. Adults were in droves picking up the microplastics. We had local cafes experimenting with reusable cup systems. This is something really important to this community. That momentum deserves support and that's why I'm here today. Let's build on the support, build on that momentum and not through heavy mandates. Ban on coffee cups will be coming. So let's, with leadership, partnership and encouragement, voluntarily transition into single-use coffee cups. Solutions exist. Our job is to make them more accessible, more. Visible, and more widely adopted, starting here in Noosa. Let's send a clear message today that Noosa will voluntarily lead Queensland's transition away from single-use coffee cups, not because we're told to, but because. It's who we are. And because our kids and their kids are counting on it and because there is no planet to be. If we can lead on coffee cups, Councillors, then maybe we can do the same with plastic bottles, takeaway packaging and even fast fashion. Voluntary, industry-led action supported by Council and grounded in community values can become a model for broader change. If we think it's impossible, it will be. But if we believe we can, we will. Hope is all we have and the actions of good people who refuse to give up. We are Different by Nature, so let's lead with purpose. And I'm going to leave you with a couple of quotes. One's my favourite. 'The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.' And the other quote which I wrote just listening to the conversation around this table today is, 'Let's not go finding problems or solutions.

Amelia Lorentson50:06

The Queensland government at the moment is reviewing Waste Strategy, and single-use coffee cup bans are likely to be part of that conversation. In fact, it was earmarked for 2027 for the ban to be introduced, but that's now been put on pause. Regardless of whether a future ban is introduced, Noosa is Different by Nature, and we have today an opportunity to lead by example, supporting local businesses to explore best practices voluntarily. Motion builds on the work that's already happening in our community. About creating the conditions for change to help cafes, event organisers, and coffee retailers to voluntarily transition confidently and successfully away from single-use cups. It's about supporting local businesses on the ground, many of whom are already ahead of the curve, and ensuring that they have the tools the knowledge and support to transition from single than use coffee cups. Sold in Australia. Some facts: there's more than 1.8 billion coffee cups that are discarded each year in Australia, most aligned with plastics and actually can't be recycled through kerbside bins. That means they end up in our landfills, in our waterways, or as microplastics on our beaches. In 2023, Noosa Council waste audits along Noosa Main Beach boardwalk and Gympie Terrace identified coffee cups as the most common litter item, 18% and 19.5% respectively. A 2025 audit at this stage of Hastings Street only identified coffee cups as one of the top three waste items. The 2023 yorkshire Your Say consultation on Noosa's waste plan confirmed strong public support for initiatives that protect oceans, reduce plastic pollution and encourage responsible business practices. Respondents called for greater leadership from Council in tackling waste at its source. Supporting a voluntary transition away from single-use coffee cups directly responds to this feedback. It also aligns with the sustainable practices actions in our Noosa Destination Management Plan which seeks to reinforce our reputation as an environmentally responsible and future-ready destination. There's already other regions that are offering promising examples. In New South Wales, a town called bermangui, became the first Australian town ever where all the cafes voluntarily phased out civil use cups. They saved over 70,000 cups and there was $12,500 in hundred dollars savings in for the participating businesses. Byron Shire Council has also eliminated single-use plastics from Council-run venues and events. Noosa can be the first in Queensland to demonstrate this kind of progress through voluntary, industry-led, community-supported and Council-supported action. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred reminded me and the community how vulnerable we are to plastic pollution but it also revealed our community strength. Our community turned out droves for beach clean-up, kids CPTED sand for microplastics, cafes trialled reusable cup systems. The appetite for change is here, we just need to harness it and continue the momentum. Plastic Free Noosa has a laid the groundwork. With many local business members and more than 160,000 kilograms of plastics avoided, their community first model works. This motion strengthens our partnership with them to accelerate local change. Recently, Plastic Free Noosa has demonstrated its leadership in removing single-use coffee cups. The recent Noosa eat and drink festival was the first single-use coffee cup free event. Held in collaboration with a local business owner, Sunshine Social founder, Mr. Ben Clark. Attendees could grab a coffee, a cup, return it to its designated station where it was washed and reused up to 1,000 times. Initiative is a prime example of leading the transition and shows the practical steps we can take to reduce plastic waste. This is the kind of innovation that we must encourage. That's why Council's role is not to impose change but to create the environment where it becomes easier. And more attractive for businesses to make that shift on their own terms and timelines. This shift is not just about businesses, it's also about who we are as a community. Inspiring change not just for businesses, but inspiring change amongst residents and our visitors. Programs like this are not only environmentally responsible, they are vital to responsibility. Responsible destination management. Helping to ensure that Noosa remains a place where people want to live, visit and respect. Working closely with Plastic Free Noosa allows Council to build on strong local momentum, supporting a trusted community-led initiative already delivering great results across the Shire. Their close relationship with local businesses, make them ideally placed to help drive this initiative. While some cafes such as Sunshine Social are already leading the way with low waste cup free models, broader change needs more than encouragement. It requires visible leadership, coordinated support and a commitment to walk alongside businesses. By taking practical steps now to voluntarily phase out single-use coffee cups, we're proving that small communities like Noosa can voluntarily. Councillor Lorentson. How does a Councillor. You're happy for Councillor Lorentson to continue to be long has it been? Five thirty I had one sentence left, thank you. By taking practical steps now to voluntarily phase out single-use coffee cups, we're proving that small communities like Noosa can voluntarily lead. Big change. When we act early, act together, and act with purpose.