The theme for World Environment Day 2023 on June 5 is 'Solutions to Plastic Pollution', an urgent reminder for countries and people everywhere to tackle plastic pollution.
Solutions to Plastic Pollution
Yearly around the globe, more that 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced, and more than half of that plastic is for a one-off use, such as bottles, wrappers and clingfilm, straws, balloons and cups. These short-lived plastics soon become waste, filling the oceans, landfill and having significant impact on wildlife, the climate and human health. Micro plastics are found in everyday items from cosmetics to cigarette filters and clothing. These tiny particles can easily enter our oceans and marine life or be inhaled by humans, resulting in toxicity, suffocation, and even genetic mutations.
Yarra Plenty Regional Library recognises the urgency of action to help beat plastic waste and embrace sustainable practices. Of course, one of our core principles is to provide reusable resources for our communities. We are also eliminating one-off use plastics such as straws and balloons in our children's craft activities.
How can you be involved?
This year for World Environment Day we have events and workshops at many of our Library branches to educate and inspire you to use less plastic and help protect our environment!
Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub are running a family craft session on creating a spinning top or flower from recycled plastic and come down to Lalor Library to create your own colourful hand parrot.
How about learning to grow beautiful chemical-free vegetables? Diamond Valley Library is running a workshop with Deep Green Permaculture where you will learn how to prepare and condition the soil in beds or pots, what best to plant, and how to protect your plants from pests naturally.
Mill Park Library is offering a sustainable gardening session where you can join garden expert Kathleen Tants and learn how to reduce your carbon footprint by making your own compost, upcycling/ recycling and reusing resources within your garden space.
Eltham Library is hosting an event at St Andrews Community Hall by ecological artist Lloyd Godman, who combines plants into architecture in the most beautiful and sustainable ways.
Get creative at Whittlesea Library and learn how to repurpose plastics into wearable art and jewellery workshop. Whittlesea Library also have both your self-care and curiosity of the world around you covered with a session on Nature Journaling. Slow down, get outdoors, and connect to the green spaces around you as you record your observations in a journal.