Brewing a plastic-free world

Tanvi Bhatia

In June, a photograph of stoke with its beak stuck in a ring served as a reminder of the plastic threat to the Earth. In the earlier month, National Geographic as a part of their campaign, Planet or Plastic? released images of birds and sea animals facing the wrath of the non-biodegradable material.

Data reveals that almost eight million tonnes of litter makes its way into the oceans annually, with plastic making for the major component. Do we still need a reason to react to the environmental threat that the material is posing?

Activists in Australia, conscious of the issue, have zealously taken to the cause of cleaning beaches. And, it is not rocket science that they have put into practice, but the simple act of sharing coffee.  The initiative's directive is simple to follow. Clean the beach and get rewarded with a free coffee. The nationwide campaign, Rubbish4Coffee, has been launched from Sydney's Manly Beach. 

Jude Furniss, president of Surfrider Foundation, Manly, says, “We are committed to the cause of combating plastic pollution in our oceans. We engage and inspire local businesses and communities to reduce their plastic foot-print. The Ocean Friendly community of cafes across the country’s coastline are a part of the initiative as well.”

 With 18 cafes, three coffee roasters and one microbrewery signing up for the month-long initiative on a single beach, the campaign will hopefully achieve its ambition. Matt, co-owner of Havana Beach Bar, which is one of the participating cafes of the cleanliness drive, proudly tells about his experience, “Clean oceans will benefit all. Each day, two million coffee cups are discarded in Australia and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!” 

The initiative is simple to follow. A participant asks for a bucket from one of the cafes, fills it with rubbish from the beach, returns the bucket to the same café and in exchange gets a free cup of coffee. What does the café do with the collected rubbish? Matt informs, “We segregate the rubbish that can be recycled from the one-time use waste. Thus, plastic ends in the recycle section.” 

Tourists and locals visiting the beaches, including kids and adults, have enthusiastically filled up 156 buckets with rubbish, thus diverting 312kg of plastic debris from polluting the ocean and all of this is accomplished in a month’s time. 

Cafes have also pledged to go plastic free. Not providing plastic straws is the first thing in the long list of to dos. “We don't offer straws, unless these are asked for by a customer. This has reduced the number of straws used and disposed off in a day,” Matt adds.  

Cleaner beaches will guarantee more tourists, which mean more business for the cafes along the coastline.  This will also help flourish sea life, currently facing life the environmental threat. “The idea is to generate more business in an eco-friendly way.” 

Realising the gravity of the situation, some cafes are going plastic free for an entire month. The campaign aims at raising awareness about dangers of plastic use and has inspired people to play their part. By contributing in waste mitigation and its correct disposal, the stakeholders are a step closer to a clean and sustainable future.