Did you know Aussies are among the worst plastic polluters on the planet - second only to Singapore for our use of single-use plastic packaging? Every year, 145,000 tonnes of plastic waste leak into our environment, and most of it comes from our supermarkets.
Many of these plastics are not recyclable, and even when binned “correctly," they escape - blown by wind, swept by rain - ending up in rivers, oceans, and inside marine life. From turtles mistaking bags for jellyfish to seabirds literally crunching from the plastic in their guts, our throwaway culture is devastating wildlife… and it’s coming back to poison us too.
But there are solutions.
This week, we’re joined by Tara Jones, Plastics & Packaging Program Manager at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, who reveals the shock findings from her supermarket plastics investigation. It's infuriating and eye opening, but it also holds the key to what we can do to stop the plastic tide.
💙 Plus: Find out how to join our Fin Club and receive a personalised video message from your favourite marine animal at the Cairns Aquarium!
PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!
- Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
- Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
- Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
- Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
- Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
- WWF Australia: Protect Nature
- Rising Tide: Join your local climate action group!
CONTACT US
- Got questions? Text us on 0437 835 937 or email info@wordonthereef.com
- Support Word on the Reef on Patreon
- Follow @WordOnTheReefPodcast on Instagram
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.