Celebrate Plastic Free July Myall Coast Myall Coast News Port Stephens by News Of The Area - Modern Media - June 23, 2021 Port Stephens local and co-author of Plastic Free Joanna Atherfold Finn. Photo: Marian Sampson. PLASTIC Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution. Plastic Free July was started by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz (the founder of the Plastic Free Foundation) and a small team in local government in Western Australia. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au This grass roots movement is now one of the most influential environmental campaigns in the world. Millions of people across the globe take part every year, with many committing to reducing plastic pollution far beyond the month of July. Rebecca Prince-Ruiz co-authored the book Plastic Free with Port Stephens local Joanna Atherfold Finn. The book tells the stories of people around the world. Finn told News Of The Area, “In the book’s final chapter we interviewed a range of people from different backgrounds and asked them what they wanted the future to look like. “A frequent comment was that individuals were doing what they could, but governments needed to be far more proactive. “It is now gratifying to see those changes happening, for example WA is fast-tracking its Plan for Plastics by four years. “NSW is aiming to cut single-use plastics by 2025. “It still feels like a long way off, but it is all a move in the right direction, and I really do believe that the constant push from the ground up has let government bodies know that no one is okay with continuing to rely on a material that causes so much damage, when there are viable alternatives,” she said. The reality today is that plastic is all around us but we can stop single use plastics and participating in Plastic Free July is a starting point that can help change your and your families consumption of single use plastics everyday. Find out more about how to get involved at plasticfreejuly.org. By Marian SAMPSON