TGL News: A new name for a new decade

As 2019 draws to a close, GreenLister 202020 Vision has announced a rebrand as Greener Spaces Better Places to “reflect an evolution of the program that looks towards the future of Australia’s cities post-2020”.

The original name captured the national urban greening initiative’s goal of increasing urban green spaces around the country by 20 per cent by 2020. Since then, the program has brought together over 7000 organisations and individuals to form one of the world’s biggest network of green space champions.

Matt Brand, chief executive of Hort Innovation – one of the network’s members – said the branding update represents a commitment to ensure that as cities grow, so do green spaces.

“To promote health and wellbeing in individuals, build resilient communities and support a sustainable society, the program will work holistically to champion the benefits of green space in relation to urban liveability,” Mr Brand said.

Maybe you thought of the Sustainable Development Goals as a new business framework, or that to successfully apply them you would need to implement all 17 goals at once. Maybe you thought they were too many and too daunting to even start, but GreenLister thinksktep has some good news: it can be easier than you think.

“The SDGs aren’t about reinventing the wheel and your organisation is probably already contributing in more ways than you realise,” the sustainability consultancy firm says.

For instance, key to implementing the goals is working out which ones are most appropriate to your business. Generally speaking, the “how” will be unique to your situation, the guide explains, but a number of tools are available – including the SDG Compass – to help your organisation work out which are most applicable.

thinkstep’s guide on the SDGs

A state-wide ban of lightweight plastic shopping bags came into effect across all retail outlets in Victoria on Friday, 1 November 2019.

The ban applies to all bags which have a thickness of 35 microns or less at any part of the bag. It also includes degradable, biodegradable and compostable bags.

Victoria is the second last state or territory in Australia to implement such a ban, which was led by South Australia in 2009. New South Wales remains the only place where it is still legal to provide single use plastic bags in retail settings, despite major vendors including Coles and Woolworths voluntarily banning the pollutant.

Clothing brand icebreaker wants you to reduce plastic waste on our beaches and oceans with a simple step: washing your clothes less. And choosing clothing made from natural materials such as cotton, silk and wool.

According to research conducted in consultation with the University of New South Wales, over 700,000 synthetic micro-plastics are released from our clothing in every load of washing.

“Plastic bottles and bags have long been identified as the most abundant culprits of oceanic plastic,” said Dr Mark Browne from UNSW, “however, our research shows that microfibers can make-up over 85 per cent of debris on shorelines.”

According to Dr Browne, these minute pieces of plastic can have negative effects on the human body when ingested and are “nearly impossible to extract” from our ecosystems.

“It’s an issue we need to address for the future of our ecosystem,” he said.

Ever wanted to achieve a waste-free weekend, or quickly locate the nearest e-waste drop off point? The City of Yarra has a map for that.

This one of a kind initiative – as far as we know – puts users in touch with more sustainable retailers, activities and ways to dispose of their waste.

You can filter by familiar categories such “food and drink” and “clothing”, but there are additional categories such as “plastic free” and “community initiatives” to help you narrow down your zero-waste search.

We think all councils should do the same!