Marine Plastic Pollution Poll

1. Should Australian Government adopt the precautionary principle and take action to eliminate microplastics now – despite the fact there remains uncertainty on how great the problem actually is? 
 

• YES
• NO
• UNSURE

2. Please pick 3 of the following groups of plastic products/packaging polluting our marine environment that you think should be the priority for government intervention? 

• Plastic beverage containers
• Single use plastic grocery bags
• All single use plastic bags
• Plastic garbage bags and Kitchen Tidy Bags
• Personal care and domestic cleaning products containing plastic microbeads
• Rigid plastic takeaway food containers (Polystyrene ‘clam shells’, Polypropylene etc.)
• Disposable plastic and composite cups (coffee cups, juice cups, milk shake containers etc.)
• Prohibiting the loss of plastic resin pellets and flake across the plastic manufacturing chain
• Requiring mandatory and effective filtration of all washing machines to capture synthetic fibres
• Funding and Research to stop the incidence of ghost nets
• Planning requirements to provide waste infrastructure and management plans to stop litter generation from urban waterfront commercial activities (e.g. city entertainment precincts) and major tourist attractions
• Stronger penalties and enforcement for littering (particularly cigarette butts)
• Stronger regulation on waste maritime for shipping in Australian waters
• Penalties for waste and recycling facilities that allow residual plastics to escape their control (e.g. not securing material being blown offsite)
• Banning a suite of miscellaneous plastic pests – helium filled balloons, plastic drinking straws

3. Should Government penalise plastic manufacturers, waste facilities and any other businesses that allow plastic waste to escape their premises?

• YES
• NO
• UNSURE

4. Synthetic fibres are entering our environment in large quantities. What solution do you think Government should mandate?

• Ban the sale of synthetic textiles and clothing
• Redesign filtration systems at sewer treatment works to develop screens that can capture items as small as a human hair
• Require all new washing machines sold to be fitted with filtration systems
• Require all washing machines (including retrofitting existing machines) to be fitted with filtration systems

5. (For the Following two questions) The Australian Government has announced a ban on the sale of cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads from mid-2018 if companies fail to take action. 

(a) Is allowing industry another 2 years to take voluntary action before regulating a strong enough response?

• YES - You need to allow industry time to prepare for the change
• NO - Microbeads are a major threat to marine biodiversity – we need action now.

6. (b) Should the proposed ban on microbeads in personal care products be expanded to include cleaning products and polishes – specifically detergents, waxes and polishes?

• YES
• NO
• UNSURE

10. If you wish to make further comment please visit our website at http://www.boomerangalliance.org.au/blog_2_microplastics and give us your feedback in the comment section at the bottom of the page