The Earth Market Maitland is ready to teach the city how to recycle plastic in a bid to reduce the amount of plastic going into landfill.
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It will run two pop-up stalls at the market in The Levee, Central Maitland this month and have a range of plastic on display.
The main focus will be on hard domestic plastics - which can be put in the council's yellow bin - and soft plastics, which have become harder to recycle since supermarkets stopped being a collection point.
![A plastic bag. Picture by Shutterstock A plastic bag. Picture by Shutterstock](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/A3aygSSaTF7hiCbjiqBAXx/d2f4b6fc-1133-48b8-9188-d02f306e2a33.png/r0_57_1508_905_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"There is value in recycling plastic," earth market chairwoman Amorelle Dempster said.
"When it is recycled that plastic is used to build things, it is being reused and these things last for a long time."
Ms Dempster said supermarkets were too reliant on putting too much packaging on products.
She said fruit, for example, had a very good natural packaging, yet it was often found wrapped in plastic.
She encouraged the city to take on the Plastic Free July challenge and make small changes to reduce reliance on plastic.
"Every small action counts, it all adds up over the course of a year," she said.
Top tips to make an impact this Plastic Free July:
- Make an appointment with yourself - maybe 30 minutes to 1 hour - to look at your plastic use in the house. Start with a bin audit and then brainstorm ways to swap that item for a plastic-free alternative.
- Get the whole family involved, especially the kids. After all, they are our future.
- Research a plastic-free alternative for the items you identify. Be creative and have fun with it.
- Look to others for inspiration - there are plenty of blogs and information to help you succeed.
- Write down the changes you want to make this month and put the list somewhere you will see it everyday, like on the fridge. Remember, start small so you don't become overwhelmed.
- When you have to use plastic, make sure it is recycled correctly.