There is plenty of research to be done to get correct, unbiased information that is based on independent scientific evidence and testing. For several years now I have been piecing together the “single use” PLASTIC picture. During the last 2 years there has been an increasing level of “green washing”. There are companies selling products that are taking advantage of markets that are unaware of differences between certified compostable and biodegradable products and those that are not. Trying to do the right thing? Look for biodegradable or compostable certification – check the certification is not just for the water!

In broad terms there are 3 groups of “Plastics” used in bottling water:

• Petroleum based PET (probably will be with us for 10,000 or so years) –There are 5 continents of plastic floating in the oceans of our earth and the sea birds and marine animals are nesting and adapting. Only the larger mammals are ingesting them, assuming they are jelly fish and suffer the consequences.(Interesting that 80% of the plastic in the oceans comes from our landfill – bottles that are not recycled correctly)

• Petroleum based plastic with a trade marked additive which claims to oxy-degrade or oxo biodegrade (degrades over varying number of years – may be 10 years) –This type of plastic is the main concern as there seems to be no accreditation or clear evident on the success of these products to bio-degrade. The marketing of such bottles uses words like “disappear” and “green” and makes claims that appeal to people’s desire to do the right thing. In the end they are still a petroleum based product with an additive that speeds up the degradation process. The result is that small particles of plastics are introduced into our environment and to our filter feeders. Recently, there have been samples taken in open ocean where there is twice as much plastic particles as plankton and yet remains invisible to the human eye. There is no data showing how long these plastic fragments will persist in the soil and the marine environment. As with PET, the small percentage of these bottles recycled will be down-cycled into items which cannot be recycled again.

• Plant based plastic made from an environmentally polymer called PLA (polylactic acid) which is made from plant starch, a sustainable, renewable source, without the use of petroleum oil. PLA can be recycled to make more PLA bottles or composted in commercial composting facilities. Compared to PET plastic bottles, the material used to make PLA utilizes 75% less Greenhouse Gas emissions, 45% less energy and 49% less fossil fuels to manufacture.

As an example of PLA checkout EcoIslandWater bottles which are manufactured in Melbourne, tinted with Australian Green Tea, the cartons are made in Australia and packed in Australia. 100% Australian owned and operated – not by multi nationals or foreign companies. The bottle material is made from cellulosic raw materials, agricultural wastes and non-food plants.

In the near future EcoIslandWater aims to have a closed loop initiative with PLA bottles being made in Tasmania, filled with water from Cape Grim and bottles collected and returned to the factory to make more bottles. This would be a clean, productive industry for Tasmania.

Obviously a reusable bottle is the first choice, but it’s comforting to know there are smart environmental alternatives readily available here in Tasmania.

Contacts are:
For manufacture and technical information
mattew@ecoislandwater.com.au
www.ecoislandwater.com.au

For Tasmanian distribution
alban@eumarrah.com.au

What makes a good cup of coffee? …..more than a clean and finely tuned espresso machine……..more than a well trained and experience barista. It is really interesting to understand the preparation involved in producing the “supreme” bean. A great deal of care is required from the start to attain the best results. Where did your coffee this morning come from? Did it create some joy in it’s production?

What Is Shade Grown? Yes, that’s right….Shade Grown!

With habitat destruction ravaging equatorial rainforests, intelligent coffee producers are now planning for a sustainable future by planting coffee trees under an indigenous forest canopy cover. This provides natural habitat and food for local wildlife, as well as a vital haven for migratory birds.

These sustainable coffee crops encourage a bio-diverse environment and are often the sole source of cash income for the indigenous populations that produce them. These communities are paid more per kilo for coffee harvested in this traditional and sustainable fashion. Look for the ‘tree symbol’ for Shade Grown coffees.

Certified Organic coffee means no inorganic chemicals or pesticides are used in producing the coffee. The strict standards of the Australian Certified Organic system go further demanding no chemicals are used in the ENTIRE supply chain including roasting and handling here in Australia. This assures you there is no cross contamination with non-organic products.

It is an expensive operation to undertake to become a Carbon Neutral Company. There are real dollars that must be paid to account for all the carbon that is not able to be offset through reductions alone. There is overwhelming evidence to show that global climate change is threatening the future of millions who depend on the cultivation of coffee for their livelihoods.

Fairtrade is a commercial trading partnership which guarantees a fair living wage and improved living conditions for producers in developing countries. Choosing Fairtrade coffee recognizes the communities – it builds roads, teaches children, buys medical supplies, changes lives.

Fairtrade guarantees:
- That a fair price is paid directly to the producer and there are fair labour conditions for all people working on plantations.
- That environmental standards are used which restrict the use of agrochemicals and foster sustainability.
- A portion of the price you pay for your coffee (the Fairtrade Premium) goes into a community trust fund to make a real impact such as education and health care.

Few coffee companies, world wide, use beans that are certified organic, fairtrade and shade grown. Jasper Coffee is an Australian company that can, and are leaders in cupping and ethical excellence. Jaspers is certified Carbon Neutral and also has some joint ventures with World Vision. Experience Jaspers at The Ugly Duck Out in Swansea or checkout their online coffee store www.jaspercoffee.com

When you ask for honey at The Ugly Duck Out, it will be Manuka honey from our local beekeeper. Marcia Harvey-Bird, proprietor and beekeeper at Bayview Honey commenced operation in 2008 and her Manuka honey fits well within our sustainability and healthy choice policies AND it is soooooo yummy!
Marcia and her partner Chris have a property close to Swansea featuring a Private Forest Reserve with a conservation covenant preserving its future. Their land has many rare and endangered plants that the bees enjoy without any pesticides or other chemicals. The land is surrounded by State Forest Reserve and many other Private Forest Reserves owned by other responsible environmentalists and landowners.
Marcia differs from most beekeepers. Her bees are kept clean and treated organically without any sugar feeding during winter. She prefers to let the bees live off their own honey.
Marcia currently has 12 healthy hives. She is currently removing the European breeds of bees she initially purchased, and developing the pure strain of Liguarian Bees which have blood lines back to ancient Egyptian times. She wants to remain a small operation with a maximum of 25-30 hives.
The bees at Bayview roam in an area where three different types of tea tree grow and bloom (one of which is leptospermum scoparium – Manuka) which is native to the area, together with blue gum, white gum, native dogwood, prickly bush and varied other native plants.
Two types of honey are branded at Bayview. One is the Bush Honey which incorporates all the above plants. The other is Manuka from Leptospernum Scoparium and which has become famous as a healing honey. It is internationally accepted as demonstrating medicinal benefits in the treatment of:-
Acne, aging skin, psoriasis and eczema, ulcers, wounds and infections, IBS, reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis, burns, sores, ringworm and other skin conditions, ear and eye infections, sinus, deep hair conditioner, skin conditioner for aging skin, insect bites and stings, yeast infections and others
The honey is taken from the hive and not watered down or chemically treated to make the honey a different colour or extend it, as most commercial honeys.
Bayview Honey is focused on the sustainability of the bees’ health and the biodiversity of the forest. When next at The Ugly Duck Out in Swansea enjoy the honey with the knowledge you are treating yourself to a truly healthy and pure masterpiece by the bees at Bayview and supporting a local business that is giving us a sweet future!

Towards the end of 2011 The Ugly Duck Out (TUDO) experienced the Climate Action Certification Audit. Following, we received a letter of congratulations on the overall implementation of the ECO Certification criteria. As per the auditor’s report, TUDO continues to meet all the requirements of the criteria to retain certification at Innovator Level. No corrective actions were noted. Yeh! The auditor made the following comments in regard to TUDO’s commitment to best practice:
Demonstration of great support for local community through delivering presentations on sustainable business practices to the public and businesses.
The recycling program that is in place to minimise watse.
The business stocks of no petroleum-based plastics.
The sourcing of supplies locally whenever possible.
The unique selection on the menu of healthy produce that would suit most palates.
So, why do we participate in this challenging journey with Ecotourism Australia? Recently Ecotourism Australia was announced one of ten organisations in the world to be recognised by the United Nations Foundation sponsored Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
Ecotourism Australia’s Ecotourism and Advanced Ecotourism Certification have been formally recognised along with the Rainforest Alliance’s Standard for Tourism Operators and eight other certification programs around the globe.
Kym Cheatham, Chief Executive of Ecotourism Australia is thrilled to have this global recognition for the Australian ecotourism industry, confirming Ecotourism Australia’s environmental certification was a world first 16 years ago.
This is fantastic acknowledgment for the over 900 tourism experiences in Australia that have achieved Ecotourism or Advanced Ecotourism certification. Now, Ecotourism and Advanced Ecotourism Certification are now considered equivalent to the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, which are the worldwide minimum requirements for tourism businesses of all size to approach sustainability. The other programs recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council are:

• Bundesministerium für Land – und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft (BMLFUW)‘s Austrian Ecolabel for Tourism (Österreichisches Umweltzeichen)

• Costa Rica Tourist Board (ICT)’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST)

• Ecotourism Ireland’s Ecotourism Ireland Label

• European Ecotourism Knowledge Network’s European Ecotourism Labelling Standard (EETLS)

• Fair Trade in Tourism for South Africa (FTTSA)

• Instituto de Turismo Responsable’s Biosphere Hotels

• Japan Ecolodge Association’s Environmentally sustainable accommodations standard

• Rainforest Alliance’s Standard for Tourism Operations

• Sustainable Travel International’s Sustainable Tourism Eco-Certification Program (STEP)

For more on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, please go to: www.gstcouncil.org

For more information contact: Kym Cheatham, Chief Executive Officer, Ecotourism Australia,

E: ceo@ecotourism.org.au, www.ecotourism.org.au

The Ecotourism Australia vision is: “To inspire environmentally responsible and culturally sustainable tourism”.Ecotourism Australia was formed in 1991 as an incorporated non-profit organisation, and is the peak national body for the ecotourism industry. Ecotourism Australia aims to grow and promote ecotourism and to assist tourism operators to become environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially and culturally responsible.

Ecotourism Australia’s ECO certification program was a world first. It provides objective monitoring and auditing of organisations’ ecotourism claims and provides travel agents and tourists with an assurance of best practice ecological sustainability, natural area management and quality ecotourism experiences.

Ecotourism Australia has since added ROC (Respect Our Culture) Certification for Indigenous Tourism operators and Climate Action Australia Certification, which has been achieved by The Ugly Duck Out to Innovator Level, to help the tourism industry work towards a more sustainable future.
In 2008, Ecotourism Australia was awarded the prestigious World Travel and Tourism Council “Tourism for Tomorrow” Award for Conservation at the World Tourism Summit in recognition of Ecotourism Australia’s significant contribution to the conservation and preservation of natural heritage.

Dr Jennifer Lavers is presenting a seminar for BirdsTas this Thursday 12th January at 8pm, UTAS Life Science building lecture theater Hobart. If you have experienced her presentation on Plastic Perils in Sea Birds you will want to be at this discussion. Dr Lavers leaves next week for an overseas destination and her energy, knowledge and commitment to reducing plastics in our environment wll be missed by many. It will be interesting to follow her progress.

Deakin University’s Graduate School of Business offers an innovative programme of study for students completing their Master of Business.  This Business School has attained a very high ranking.  A compulsory unit of Finance, MPT753 is offered as an experiential study programme.  The theme of the study unit is Investing in a Sustainable Future .  Dr Terry Boulter the Director of MBA, Dr Rodney Carr Associate of Teaching and Learning and Helen Chuter (MEd)  organise and implement the programme.  Students undertake visits to businesses and the purpose of the visits is to work with business managers to identify investment opportunities that have the potential to reduce the company’s environmental impact and improve upon its operating costs.

The visits provide an opportunity for students to see at first hand a variety of initiatives that businesses have under taken to be ‘greener’ and to transplant these ideas to other companies.  The Ugly Duck Out at Swansea provided such an opportunity.  Robyn Klobusiak has implemented through out her business the sustainability principles of reduce, reuse and recycle most efficiently and effectively.  The procedures that the The Ugly Duck Out have put in place to reduce the business’ carbon footprint inspired the Deakin students.  The students who take part in this unit are in most cases in management positions in their respective business and therefore in a position to transfer some of the procedures used by Robyn Klobusiak and her staff into their work place.  The techniques Robyn has implemented to be environmentally principled are many and varied. For example several years ago The Ugly Duck Out became the first restaurant in Tasmania, (and one of only a few in Australia) to move away from oil based plastics for take-away coffee cups and lids. These plant based plastic (PLA) alternative takes less than 2 months to compost.  There are many restaurants in Tasmania now that use these cups.  Other ideas Robyn has implemented are composting vegetable scraps to use on the kitchen garden, recycling of bottles, cans and paper, compressing of waste to minimize landfill, starch bags, sugar cane bowls and PLA (plant based plastics) including drinking straws, sugar cane hand towels, sugar cane and bamboo toilet paper, collection of water in he kitchen for appropriate reuse, 100% biodegradable natural commercial cleaning products are used throughout the restaurant for the staff’s physical and mental wellbeing and Robyn always supports suppliers who are climate action certified. The Deakin students and staff found this visit to be a most rewarding and worthwhile experience.  Besides, the food tasted really good and fresh!

 The students were also hosted by Parks and Wildlife, Freycinet Adventures and All 4 Adventures on the East coast and each were considered highlights of the study programme.  Some of the other enterprises visited in Tasmania were Hydro Tasmania, Gunns, Cadbury, Tassal, and Truffle Enterprises. The Deakin students found the generosity of the Tasmanian people outstanding. The group was made up of domestic and overseas students from varied backgrounds and diverse business experience.  A programme such as this provides strong opportunities for learning, and networking both for the enterprises and the students.

The latest round of Tidy Towns winners has been announced.

Keep Australia Beautiful is in its 40^th year of community involvement

and  Tidy Towns Tasmania has just crowned its 32^nd overall Tidy Towns winner.

And the winner is Wynyard.

Glamorgan Spring Bay communities, individuals, businesses and groups were

also awarded with a healthy swag of certificates.

Details of our local winners are as follows:

Lona Turvey, Glamorgan Spring Bay Council’s Community Development

Manager received the John Donaghy Memorial Award for many years of

enthusiastic and committed service to the Glamorgan Spring Bay community.

Certificates of Excellence were also awarded to:

Swansea Primary School in the Young Legends category for interaction with the community.

The Ugly Duck Out in the Health and Wellbeing category for leading the way Australia wide in sustainability which is being recognised at the highest possible level.

May Shaw Health Centre in the Health and Wellbeing category for efforts to

obtain a dental care service for the East Coast community.

Certificates of Appreciation  were awarded to:

Swansea Golf Club in the Health and Wellbeing category for their response In replacing the burnt down club house, an action that is appreciated by the whole community.

Jarrod Maclaine in the Environment Innovation and Protection category for his commitment to protecting the environment.

East Coast Heritage Museum and Visitor Information Centre in the Heritage and Culture category for the outstanding ‘work in progress’ redevelopment. (It was a work in progress when the Tidy Towns judges visited just a few months ago!)

Bruce Press in the Environment Innovation and Protection category for his much appreciated work with Reptile Rescue services to the local community

Jennifer Johnston in the Health and Wellbeing category for her involvement in the activities of the May Shaw Health Centre.

The Ugly Duck Out in the Waterwise Gardens category for their wonderful

example of how to maintain a garden with minimal water.

The Waterloo Inn was also thanked for accommodating the judges on the

Swansea leg of their tour.

I do hope I have not left anyone off the honour roll. Congratulations to all our winners and many thanks to Robyn Klobusiak the current coordinator of Swansea Tidy Towns for her enthusiastic and knowledgeable contribution to a sustainable Swansea.

Story by Cynthia Maxwell-Smith, GSBC Sustainability Officer.