Centre backs plastic purge

Children at Geographe Leisure Centre’s vacation care program have got on board with Plastic Free July, replacing some of their dining utensils with sustainable alternatives.

Plastic Free July encourages people to choose to refuse single-use plastic throughout the month in an effort to help reduce landfill.

GLC vacation care nominated supervisor Sheree Knezevic said she had first heard about the challenge through the GLC Cafe, which also took part in the challenge.

“We decided it should be a whole-of-leisure-centre approach; if one group does it we all like to get on board,” she said.

Ms Knezevic said the vacation care had chosen to use ceramic mugs for food such as soup instead of plastic, as well as replace plastic cutlery with metal cutlery.

Student Jack Braby said conserving the natural environment was very important to him.

“Plastic is really bad for landfill; it takes a long time to break down but if we use glass, it can be reused,” he said.

Many of the children had been learning about the initiative at their schools and Ms Knezevic said was important to carry on what they had been taught.

“We need to tie in with the schools as well and it’s good to know that what they are learning there if being followed through; if they get taught this they can then put it in practice,” she said.

“It’s about working towards their future and to make sure they know about sustainability.”