The smiling quokkas and abundant sea life on Rottnest Island can breathe a sigh of relief with news that their habitat is about to become the first major tourism destination in Australia to ban plastic straws.
The WA Government announced over the weekend that single-use plastic straws on the island would be given the flick from Ma, 2019, with cafes and businesses only to supply biodegradable paper straws on request.
Conservation Council WA boss Piers Verstegen told The West Australian that starting a plastic straw ban on Rottnest made sense because straws were a major problem for marine life and litter made its way into the ocean very quickly.
Image: Rottnest Express/Facebook
“Rottnest is an ideal location to begin phasing in bans on all single-use plastic … allowing alternatives to be trialled by businesses on the island before being taken up more widely across the State.”
Conservation Council WA boss Piers Verstegen
Rottnest is a certified eco-tourism destination this initiative will be an important step in ensuring the island is kept pristine for generations to come.
Western Australia’s Environment Minister Stephen Dawson noted that most plastic takes years to degrade and in some cases centuries.
“We want to do more to stop plastic ending up on Western Australia’s beautiful beaches and in our oceans,” he said.
“Taking plastic straws out of the litter stream is a significant step towards protecting our environment and A-Class reserves such as Rottnest.”
- READ: SLEEP WITH QUOKKAS: World-class glamping arrives on Rottnest Island
- READ: PLASTIC-FREE: VOMO becomes second Fijian Island to remove all plastic straws