Takeaway coffee cups for dine-in customers will be discouraged at cafes on council land, as part of Greater Dandenong’s revised policy to reduce single-use plastics.
The “discretionary” policy also pushes to deter single-use plastic bags, plates, bowls, takeaway containers, bottled drinks, glow sticks, confetti and balloons being used on council property.
The draft policy applies to council events and festivals as well as leisure centres and sports clubs.
A notable exemption remains for Dandenong Market.
Greater Dandenong councillors endorsed the policy on 14 July.
However, Crs Lana Formoso and Bob Milkovic queried the exemption for Dandenong Market.
Cr Milkovic questioned why there was no time-frame for bringing the market stallholders’ prolific use of plastic bags under the policy.
“I asked the question why there are plastic bags still allowed at Dandenong Market?
“If you’re going to do something about (the issue), we should do it right.”
Cr Formoso said the council was “ahead of its time” being one of only three in Melbourne with such policies.
However the council needed to engage with Dandenong Market’s board on the issue.
“I get it may be hard and inconvenient for our demographic, but it’s the right step forward.”
According to a council report, the exemption was due to private traders negotiating their leases with the Dandenong Market Management Board rather than the council.
Bans on selling plastic goods such as party supplies at the market would also go beyond the state’s plastics ban and would restrict trade.
The council will instead support Dandenong Market and traders to implement their “own approach to reducing the impacts of single-use and soft plastics”.
Also exempt are activities that don’t require an event permit or hire agreement, such as a kid’s party in a park.
The emphasis is on discouraging soft plastics through education and engagement of traders, businesses and clubs, according to the council report.
“Overall, the policy aims to achieve an appropriate balance between reducing single use plastics while ensuring activities undertaken on Council owned and/ or managed land can continue without unreasonably impacting on operations.”
The policy adds the possibility of reuseable cups for dine-in customers at cafes on Council land – as part of lease agreements with the council.
The recently opened Lucky Lulu Cafe at Springvale Community Hub was an example.
Greater Dandenong community strengthening executive director Peta Gillies said it was working with Lucky Lulu Café to consider discounts for bringing reusable cups and sustainable dine-in options.
“This is in accordance with the Single Use Plastic Policy, which seeks to minimise the amount of single use plastics utilised within their operations.”
For two years, Greater Dandenong Environment Group (GDEG) has fought for hot drinks in crockery cups at the six-star sustainability-rated hub’s outlet.
It had taken issue with the previous café operator’s single-use, disposable cups.
However the previous operator Frankie & Co at the time said reuseable cups were not viable at the Hub.
Hand-washing and drying porcelain cups cost litres of water and staff time, it claimed.
Instead it used biodegradable cardboard cups, which could be disposed in recycling bins.
The council didn’t propose a ban on sports clubs and leisure centres selling plastic bottled water and sports drinks, a council report stated.
They were still reportedly important sources of revenue for the clubs and centres. Non-plastic packaging was more costly or not available for some brands of sports drinks.
However, Noble Park Junior Football Club’s canteen had made the switch from single-use plastic bottles to cans, the report noted.
The single use plastic policy is an update of the council’s 2019 policy, which the council claims has led to significantly less single-use plastics at Council events.
The council has also staged pop-up activations for Plastic Free July, a Borrow-A-Bag venture at Dandenong Market and CERES Leadership Day for students.
