Take 3 for the Sea is delighted to announce a new initiative to tackle tourism-generated litter in New South Wales.
The First Wave Pilot Project, in association with the NSW Environment Protection Authority, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) and Outdoors NSW & ACT, aims to educate and inspire the NSW tourism industry to prevent litter in tourist locations.
Using the opportunity created by COVID-19 to review litter loads in significant NSW tourism destinations, the project will introduce litter awareness and provide resources and tools to encourage behavioural change by NSW tourism businesses.
Take 3’s First Wave Project will make a significant and sustained contribution to exceeding the NSW target of a 40% reduction in litter at a regional and state-wide level, while also measuring and reducing the amount of litter tourism contributes to selected areas.
“Take 3 is delighted this idea has been supported by the NSW Environment Protection Authority and look forward to making a significant impact in litter reduction at tourist hot spots in New South Wales,” says Take 3 CEO, Sarah Beard.
“Tourism waste varies seasonally and is generated in areas sensitive to littering, putting pressure on waste management facilities during peak seasons and damaging high nature value resources.
“With 80% of all tourism taking place in coastal areas, plastic from the sector is a significant contributor to pollution with huge amounts of plastic ending up in rivers and getting carried into the oceans.
“At Take 3 we believe in simple solutions to big problems and look forward to working with tourist operators in the state to make a big difference.”
Take 3 ambassador Kyal Demmrich at a recent clean up of NSW tourist hotspot Coogee Beach
The project will run throughout 2021 with Take 3 providing operators with simple tools to help minimise local litter and commit to taking action to help prevent litter over the long-term.
The first stage will be to take part in a specifically-designed survey, to help us understand tourism’s plastic footprint and major pain points when it comes to litter and waste.
Take 3 will assess the information gathered through the survey to tailor online training and resources for the tourism industry.
From here we will host a two-hour online workshop with operators and other key industry representatives to determine the litter issues (behaviours, items) and litter sources identified within the tourism industry.
At the completion of the pilot project, Take 3 will develop and share a toolkit of collateral for the tourism industry to use in tackling litter and waste.
The toolkit will include training material and information, as well as marketing material for your use in promoting your commitment to litter prevention and waste reduction.
By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, put simply our planet is drowning in plastic.
This project is a NSW Environment Protection Authority, Waste Less Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy.
For more information and to play your part in a global movement to change this contact:
Tourism Manager, Rebecca Dawes | rebecca@take3.org | 0404 680 250
Project Manager, Nicole Holyer | nicole@take3.org | 0430 199 600
