We would like to invite you to attend our BSFG General Meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday 26th August at the Benalla Uniting Church.

In keeping with "Plastic Free July" (previously postponed due to covid restrictions), we will be screening the documentary "Plastic Wars". Issues such as clear labelling on packaging for recycling, are raised in this documentary. There will be time for discussion after the film.

A light supper will be served at the conclusion of the evening.

Current covid protocols will be followed. For indoor public gatherings, masks and social distance are needed. Masks can be removed during supper, when we ask people to maintain social distance.

Please RSVP your attendance for Covid numbers to  bsfginc@gmail.com

Please visit News on our BSFG website for more about Plastic Free July. https://www.bsfg.org.au/news

Judy Schwarzman
Secretary BSFG

Dear BSFG Members and Supporters,
 
We would like to invite you to attend our BSFG General Meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday 22nd July at the Benalla Uniting Church.

In keeping with "Plastic Free July" we will be screening the documentary "Plastic Wars". Issues such as clear labelling on packaging for recycling, are raised in this documentary. There will be time for discussion after the film.

A light supper will be served at the conclusion of the evening.

Current covid protocols will be followed. For indoor public gatherings, masks and social distance are needed. Masks can be removed during supper, when we ask people to maintain social distance.

Please RSVP your attendance for Covid numbers to  bsfginc@gmail.com

Please visit News on our BSFG website for more about Plastic Free July. https://www.bsfg.org.au/news


Judy Schwarzman
Secretary BSFG

● Code 3 - Polyvinyl Chloride: PVC includes pipes, toys, packing, etc and can be difficult to recycle and a major health threat - it should never be sent to landfill or placed in your recycle bin. Contact Council for advice on how to dispose of it;

● Code 4 - Low Density Polyethylene: LDPE is the material used to create things like garbage bags, sandwich bags, shopping bags, etc. These kinds of soft plastics are collected in special containers at supermarkets, so do not put them in your own recycle bin;

● Code 5 - Polypropylene: Polypropylene materials can be used to create products like clothing, tubs, ropes or bottles and can be turned into fibres when recycled properly, so they may be placed in your recycle bin;

● Code 6 - Polystyrene: Polystyrene is probably the most difficult plastic product to deal with. It must not be placed in your roadside recycling bin, and because it is manufactured from petroleum, it is a very contaminating product in landfill. It is best to avoid buying products packaged in polystyrene; and

● Code 7- All other plastics: Must not be placed in recycling bins - can include anything from acrylic to nylon

In summary, don't think that plastic is recyclable simply because it has a number inside a triangle.
Generally, codes 1,2 and 5 are okay to recycle, and code 4 needs to go to soft plastics bins at supermarkets, for example.

For all other plastics, you need to check with council to determine the best method to deal with the problem.

To help reduce the plastic recycling conundrum, why not try to avoid buying goods packaged in plastic.
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During July, think "plastic free", and you might just find it is easier than you thought, and this will go a long way to solving one of our major pollution problems."
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​Plastic Free July is a 2011 initiative developed by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, and a small team in local government in Western Australia  It aims to raise awareness of the amount of plastic in our lives by encouraging people to eliminate the use of single-use plastic.  The initiative is a global movement that helps millions of people be a part of the solution to plastic pollution.

The challenge is to refuse single use plastic during July, and once in the habit, continue to do so.
Some of you may think it is difficult to stop using plastic, and it is.  Plastic is ubiquitous and it is made to last a very long time. It is packaged around our food.  There is evidence now to say it has started to become a part of our food. It is in our make-up and personal hygiene products. It is in our clothing.
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However, if we put in a little thought and effort, we all can reduce our usage of plastic.

Benalla Sustainable Future Group hopes that the Benalla community can rise to the challenge, and we offer the following ideas to aid people in this endeavour:

• Take your own shopping bag or pack your shopping in a box;
• Either reuse or refuse produce bags. Choose to refuse pre-packed fruit and vegetables, or bring your own reusable netting produce bags;
• Purchase products packaged in cardboard, paper or glass;
• Avoid plastic wrap – use a plate, clean shower cap or fabric covers over your leftovers;
• Store food in glass containers;
• Opt for refills and bulk purchases. Frequent local farmers markets or join the Benalla Bulk Food Co-operative where you can bring your own containers to refill;
• Ask for meat to be wrapped in paper or take your own container to the butchers. Avoid polystyrene trays;
• BYO coffee cup. Support cafes that reduce the price of a takeaway coffee if you BYO or dine-in at your local cafe;
• Refuse plastic straws. If you need a straw, take your own reusable alternative;
• Say no to purchased bottled water. It is so very expensive and totally avoidable;
• Line your rubbish bin with newspaper;
• Use alternative cleaning products such as bicarb soda, clove oil and vinegar;
• Buy ‘experiences’ rather than presents that could end up as landfill;
• Pick up plastic litter;
• Buy clothing made from natural fibres rather than synthetic, and consider op-shopping before a new purchase; and
• Replace disposable nappies with washable cloth nappies.

Continue the challenge if travelling:

• Take your own reusable coffee cup and water bottle;
• Purify suspect local tap water with tablets or a UV water purifier; and
• Take your own snacks, earphones, and reusable cutlery.

​Think - Reduce, Reuse, Refuse, Rethink, Repair.

If we are all a little wiser with our purchases and consumption habits, a cleaner and healthy environment will follow.  Think about changing your relationship with plastics and challenge your consumption patterns.

Choose to Refuse.

For more ideas and to accept the Plastic Free July challenge, visit this link.

​The film Albatross by Chris Jordan was screened at North East Artisans on Saturday 1st August.  A joint initiative of BSFG, Plastic Wise Benalla and NEA, the film was introduced by Wendy Baker from Plastic Wise Benalla and BSFG's Peter Maddock, with the screening followed by discussion and tea/coffee.  .

​Peter's inspiration for screening the film in Benalla is evident from the preamble he wrote prior to its screening...
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"I spoke to Tim Bowtell at NEA a few years ago about screening a film at NEA.  At the time I was influenced by seeing a recording of Art Climate Ethics: What Role for the Arts? at the Melbourne Sustainable Living Festival 2014.  This presentation featured a number of artists talking about their art and climate change and was presented by Guy Abrahams of CLIMARTE: Arts for a Safe Climate.  One of the featured artists was Chris Jordan director of Albatross who spoke about his making of the film on Midway Island, https://www.albatrossthefilm.com/

Over recent months I have looked up some of Chris Jordan’s work and have come to see how Chris wants to take us beyond the numbers used to describe our impact on the environment.  By showing us the consequences of the cultural choices we make he wants us to feel these impacts, because large numbers such as tons of carbon emissions, the number of species threatened with extinction, etc. doesn’t mean much to us.

Chris Jordan’s website presents some amazing Photographic Arts, in particular some animations titled Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait and Running the Numbers II: Portraits of global mass culture, visualising the numbers resulting from our personal consumption.  In his TedX talk 'Midway Journey' Chris describes his artistic work as “visualising and facing the invisible truths of our time”.

​Earlier this year I came across a video of Chris talking about the making of Albatross on Midway Island.  In particular I was taken by his comment that the tragedy unfolding on Midway from our plastic pollution in the Pacific is a bit like global warming, it is largely invisible to us.  Chris’ message is that he wants us to feel the tragedy of our times.  A wakeup call for us to make new choices.

This year Albatross was screened at the Transition Film Festival in Melbourne and has been offered by Chris Jordan as a free public screening to spread the word about the tragedy of plastic pollution in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  So thank you to Tim and North East Artisans for providing us with the opportunity to screen Albatross at NEA.

A reminder also that Tim Bowtell has in his own way been visualising some of the tragedies of our times.  His mural at Benalla Wall Art this year was “Cornography”, a critique of our modern corporate food chain.  And most recently Tim’s entry in the inaugural Swanpool SCRAP Art Prize, the “Treadmill of Perpetual Happiness” is now situated at the entry to North East Artisans." (Peter Maddock)

People who attended the screening of Albatross at NEA were clearly very moved by it.  NEA member Pamella Francis wrote the following comment on NEA's Facebook page - 

"I attended the free ALBATROSS movie last night, Saturday 1st Sept at NEA.... I was totally aghast at what we, as humans are doing to our beautiful planet and the animals who innocently go about their lives unaware of the dangers that they ingest and pass on to their offspring. The parent bird don't know that they are slowly killing them. As humans we at least have choice and can be aware of the dangers of what we choose to eat and the lifestyles we live in. Whilst there is a minority of people who are trying to do the 'right' thing with plastic, recycling etc etc... the BIG companies need to get on board if real changes can be made! I don't usually say much on FB just "like" what other people post but I can't not say something about this movie on the Albatross. If everyone took the time to watch this move, they would be moved to change".
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