Do you own a single-use plastic free business? Can you think of a business that you frequent that should be on the list?

Fill out the form below and let us know – we will add it to the list!

We can to list businesses that either:
a) don’t have any single-use plastic,
b) have ditched some single-use plastic Eg. bags, or,
c) stock mostly package free products.

Let’s expand this directory together to make it easy for others in Cairns to go plastic free!

	Community Foods Cairns
What they sell	‘We stock a range of organic, biodynamic, & health foods. We can provide any quantity, including unopened bags in bulk for cheaper prices. We support local suppliers.’
How they’re plastic free	No waste shop – everything in bulk with paper bags available or BYO containers
Address	74 Shields St, Cairns. Queensland
Phone	07 4041 5335
Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/communityfoodscairns/
Instagram	@communityfoodscairns
Website	http://www.comfoods.org.au/
Email	shop@nullcomfoods.org.au
	Enviromart Australia
What they sell	‘Enviromart Australia offers a wide variety of eco friendly organic and ecologically sustainable alternatives to help you reduce your carbon footprint and step a little lighter on the earth.’
How they’re plastic free	No plastic bags, environmentally conscious product line
Address	Corner James and McLeod Streets, Cairns North, Queensland, 4870
Phone	07 4041 2233
Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/EnviromartAustralia/
Website	http://www.enviromart.com.au/
Email	info@nullenviromart.com.au
	The Healthy Hub
What they sell	Bulk food, organic, biodynamic supermarket options
How they’re plastic free	No plastic bags, some bulk food options
Address	45 Moffat St, Cairns North QLD 4870
Phone	(07) 4051 5688
Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/The-Healthy-Hub-137855079625538/
Website	www.thehealthyhub.com.au
Email	info@nullthehealthyhub.com.au
	Real Food Network
What they sell	Fresh, local produce (lots of organic and spray free options)
How they’re plastic free	They do provide plastic bags, however it is easy to take your own bag and buy produce plastic free
Address	Rusty’s Markets, Cairns, Queensland 4870
Phone	0414 608 234
Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/realfoodnetwork/
Website	http://realfoodnetwork.com.au/
Email	chris@nullrealfoodnetwork.com.au
	Rusty’s Markets
What they sell	Fresh produce markets
How they’re plastic free	They’re not (most vendors provide plastic bags) however it is easy to take your own bag and buy produce plastic free
Address	57-89 Grafton Street, Cairns
Phone	07 4031 5698
Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/Rustysmarkets/
Instagram	@RustysMarkets
Website	http://www.rustysmarkets.com.au/
Email	rustysmarkets@nullgilligans.com.au
	The Source Bulk Foods Cairns
What they sell	‘..bulk wholefoods, health foods and a huge range of paleo, gluten free, organic & vegan products’
How they’re plastic free	No waste shop – everything in bulk with paper bags available or BYO containers
Address	10/85 Lake St Cairns, Queensland
Phone	07 4031 5698
Facebook	www.facebook.com/thesourcebulkfoodscairns
Instagram	@thesourcecairns
Website	http://thesourcebulkfoods.com.au/
Email	cairns@nullthesourcebulkfoods.com.au
	Cairns Hillslopes Hunny
What they sell	They sell products from their own hives : hunny, honeycomb and beeswax
How they’re plastic free	The beekeeper Roy sells his honey in recycled glass bottles. He provides too only paper bags for packaging.
Address	Local markets: Holloways Beach markets and Tanks market
Phone	419644852
Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/Cairns-Hillslopes-Hunny-1686931901580889/
Email	cairnshillslopeshunny@nulloutlook.com

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The Queensland Government has committed to banning single-use plastic bags in 2018 – hoorah! They have released a discussion paper and are seeking public input via an online survey into what a ban may look like in practice. The CAFNEC Marine Response Team have put together some points which may help you guide your response. The survey closes on Monday 27th March so have your say now!

Click here to start the Qld Government survey on banning light weight plastic bags now.

Q1. Do you think that 1 July 2018 allows enough time for consumers and retailers to transition to plastic bag alternatives?

• Yes, people will adapt quickly to bringing their own bags.
• It has shown to be successful in many other states and countries.
• An education program for both consumers and retailers should be introduced prior to the ban date to educate on the problem of single-use plastic and the benefits of, and best alternatives to use.
• Important it is introduced at an appropriate time for retailers, i.e. not at Easter or Christmas.

Q2. Do you agree that biodegradable bags should be included?

• Yes
• Taking away all plastic bags will help people to transition.
• Degradable bags are designed to break into smaller pieces and resemble food for wildlife even more that standard bags.
• Biodegradable bags contain toxic agents to slow down decomposition taking up to two years to fully decompose. Throughout this time they are in the environment doing damage.
• People are more likely to litter biodegradable bags thinking that they are ok for the environment.

Q3. Do you support the Queensland Government working with other states and territories to encourage industry to reduce the number of heavier weight plastic department store bags?

• Include heavier plastic bags in the policy now. Voluntary action to reduce will include education coupled with either a ban/alternative product or a levy on bags anyway.
• Alternatives to thicker bags, such as consumers just using their own bags or recycled paper bags, must be encouraged.
• Heavy duty plastic bags take even longer to break down in the environment than normal ones

Q4. What else can be done by the Queensland Government to address plastic pollution?

• Stop mass release of helium balloons in Queensland. Once released they end up in the ocean and become a serious threat to wildlife.
• Find alternative to single use bait bags for fishing
• Plastic items such as polystyrene cups and plates, plastic straws, plastic food ware, and other plastic packaging and food trays should be added to a list of problematic plastics for future policy and education campaigns. Ideally, a future ban like in France should take place.
• Microplastics (fibres, film, pellets and beads) also need to be managed – either through bans, take back schemes, filtration systems or simply using alternative, non-disposable, or organic items
• Action needs to be taken towards disposal of cigarette butts which are plastic fibres and usually contaminated with chemicals.
• Provide incentives for outlets to use compostable crockery such as the brand BioPak, as alternatives to plastic
• Put in place more bottle refilling stations to encourage people to bring their own bottle and not buy bottled a water
• Provide better education around recycling, especially in schools
• Provide more bins in public places, with a recycling bin alongside each one
• Include tip fees in house rates to reduce illegal dumping
• More monitoring and strict prosecution of people who dump illegally
• Advertise and encourage more clean-ups, more often
• Re-introduce littering advertisements on television
• Put filters on washing machines to prevent synthetic remnants from entering the drain system
• Collect and monitor rubbish at tributaries, particularly after the first flood of the season, as is done in Port Douglas, FNQ
• Introduce soft plastics recycling in all cities, not just major ones
• Effective implementation of the Container Deposit Scheme scheduled for 2017
• Provide funding for programs for non-profit groups working on the ground to reduce plastic in the environment Eg. Boomerang Bags, Tangaroa Blue and other community initiatives such as the Drain Stencil Project that spread the message about litter polluting the Great Barrier Reef

Click here to complete the Qld Government survey now

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1 cup almonds
4 cups water
Colander
Blender
Muslin cloth or teatowel for straining

Method

1. Soak almonds overnight in water
2. Strain soaked water and rinse almonds
3. Place in blender and add 4 cups of water
4. Blend until smooth and creamy
5. Strain blended mixture through muslin cloth or tea towel
6. Voila! Your almond milk is ready to drink

Notes

You’ve also made almond meal (left inside the muslin material) freeze it to use in for smoothies, cakes and more!

You may want to change the ratio of water to almonds to suit your taste – more water = less creamy but more quantity, less water = more creamy but lower quantity milk (and more expensive)

The post DIY: Almond Milk appeared first on CAFNEC.

Toilet paper:

Who Gives a Crap sell plastic free toilet paper that is delivered to you door. The paper is 100% recyclable and half of their profits are donated to water aid.

Beauty Products:

Ethique are a New Zealand based company that make plastic free solid beauty products available for purchase online.

Lush sell shampoos, deodorants, bath bombs and soap all plastic free. While they do have some products that come in recycled plastic 46% of their product line is plastic free.

Sanitary products:

Moon cup sell silicone menstrual cups meaning you will never have to buy tampons again

Luna also sell silicone menstrual cups, and also material, washable and reusable sanitary pads

The post Plastic Free Bathroom & Sanitary Products appeared first on CAFNEC.

Coconut oil
Eucalyptus oil
Tea tree oil
Citronella oil

Instructions:

For a 25ml bottle of repellent: fill 90% with coconut oil. Add 5 drops of citronella, 2 drops of eucalypt and 2 drops of tea tree – voila!

The coconut oil moisterises the skin, which prevents the other oils drying your skin out. It also dilutes the strong essential oils, so that it can be spread across the skin. It has a pleasent and strong smell that repels mossies and midgies.

The post How to make your own insect repellent appeared first on CAFNEC.

Materials:

• Beeswax, grated
• 100% cotton fabric
• Baking paper
• Grater (used only for beeswax)
• Paintbrush
• Makeshift clothes line

Using an Iron

1. Cut the fabric to desired size using pinking shears to prevent the edges from fraying. Commonly used sizes include 34cmx33cm, 28cmx29cm and 19cmx20cm. You can customize size and shaped to suit the items you want to cover.
2. Place the fabric on a piece of baking paper and sprinkle evenly and lightly with grated beeswax. Its best to start out with less than you think because it is easy to add more if needed.
3. Cover with a second piece of baking paper and iron gently so the wax melts and spread across the fabric. If you press too hard the melted wax will come out the sides of the paper.
4. Carefully peel the fabric off the baking paper and hang on a makeshift clothesline to dry. Be careful as the fabric can be quite hot. Once cooled you can use it.

Using an oven

1. Preheat oven to 85^oC
2. Cut the fabric to desired size using pinking shears to prevent the edges from fraying. Commonly used sizes include 34cmx33cm, 28cmx29cm and 19cmx20cm. You can customize size and shaped to suit the items you want to cover.
3. Place on cooking tray covered with baking paper or foil.
4. Sprinkle evenly and lightly with beeswax. You need less than you think!
5. Place in the preheated oven and watch until all the wax is melted. This should take 5 minutes or less.
6. Once the beeswax is just melted, remove from oven and use a paintbrush to spread the wax evenly to cover any areas that are not yet coated.
7. Hang on a makeshift clothesline to dry. Be careful as the fabric can be quite hot. Once cooled you can use it.

Cleaning

• Wash in cool water with a mild soap. While they can be used for meat it is best to allocate particular wraps for that use to prevent spreading bacteria.

Tips

• If you think the fabric is not coated enough you can add a little more beeswax and repeat the heating process you have chosen.
• Sometimes the wraps take a few uses to reach their sticking potential. Scrunching them up a few times tends to get the beeswax working.
• It is also useful to warm them up with your hands before using to help them stick better.
• Wraps should last several months. If they start to lose their stickiness, just add some more beeswax.

The post How to Make Beeswax Reusable Food Wraps appeared first on CAFNEC.

Plastic Free July is here: first weekly catch-up is Thursday 7th July

The power of social change rests in coming together.

So let’s meet up this Thursday and share our Plastic Free July stories and learn tricks and tips from each other and some special guests who are plastic free veterans.

We’ll be meeting every Thursday in July at 5.30pm at the Hammock Cafe (70 Abbott St Cairns) to share stories, run plastic free workshops and giveaway some cool prizes!

Week 1 Program Thurs 7th July:

5.30 pm – Meet & greet
5.45 pm – Dilemma Bag: Tell us what you couldn’t avoid
6.00 pm – Successes!! Tell us what went well!
6.30pm – Activity Time: scrumptious Plastic Free recipe sharing and toothpaste making workshop
7.15 pm – Snacks and relax, Hammock Café closes

Check out the Facebook event 

We hope to see you there!

The post Plastic Free July: Weekly Catchup 1 appeared first on CAFNEC.

Thanks to everyone who came out for our ‘Bag it: Is your life too plastic?’ film screening and how to fundraise night on Thursday 30th of June.

We had a full house – apologies to those who missed out!

Check out the pictures from the night and in case you missed it, check out the trailer for ‘Bag it’ here

If you still need to make a GoFundraise page for Plastic Free July click here!

The post Plastic Free July: ‘Bag it’ Screening wrap up appeared first on CAFNEC.

We had a great day at Yorkeys Knob on Saturday 25th of June launching Plastic Free July FNQ with our Family Fun Beach Day!

Sandcastles, BBQ, drain stencilling, bag painting, colouring in, singing, plastic free living demos and giveaways!

Check out some of the pictures and a special video made by PhlipVids above, and coverage in the Cairns Post below.

Bags hand screen printed with our ‘Plastic: It All Adds Up’ logo for the event

Some of the great prizes for sand castle building!

Paint your own bag

Drain stencil project

Colouring in (want to print and colour your own? Download it here)

No Waste No Worries plastic free living display

Purging Plastics display

Tangaroa Blue

Ditch plastic straws!

Plastic bag and coffee cup waste display

Lovely tunes

Sand castle comp in action

Sand castle comp in action

Drain stencil project

Nemo facepaint

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