Byron Farmers Market is on its way to becoming the first zero-waste market in the region. While the weekly farmers’ market has had a cup washing station in place for a number of years – saving more than 18,000 disposable cups from going into landfill every year – it is now set to take its war on waste to the next level by phasing out all single-use food and drink packaging.
The waste-saving move is being supported by Byron Shire Council as part of its Single-Use Packaging and Materials Policy, which comes into effect next month.
Byron Farmers Market manager Tom Carey says the market has been working closely with Council and North East Waste to audit the market’s waste and garner feedback from the community about the move from single use to reusables.
‘We are always looking at ways to run the market more efficiently and reduce our impact on the environment,’ Tom says. ‘And there is a lot of greenwashing out there when it comes to food and drink packaging.’
‘Just because plates and cups look natural and brown and have words like “bio” or “compostable” on them, it means very little in reality. The reality is, none of those items are going into compost or being recycled. They are all going into landfill! So, we are working towards not just offering reusable coffee cups on site, but also plates, cutlery and juice cups so that we reduce our waste to as close to zero as possible.’
Linda Tohver, Education Coordinator for North East Waste, says there is a ‘massive amount’ of confusion in relation to which bin single-use coffee cups, containers, bio-cups and wooden cutlery should go in.
‘In a recent survey conducted with consumers at events and markets across the region, including Byron Farmers Market, when asked the question about which bin these items should go in, more than 60% of the 200+ responses were incorrect, thinking these items could be recycled and/or composted,’ Linda says.
‘The bottom-line is that no amount of “wish-cycling” will make those single-use coffee cups, bowls, plates or bio-cups eco-friendly. They all need to go into the landfill bin, but often end up contaminating both the recycling and organics streams. We all need to be moving to embrace reusables.’
The ‘Move To Reuse’, as Byron Shire Council has dubbed the campaign, is not without its challenges, but Tom says he is confident there will be a smooth transition to remove single-use items in the market in the coming weeks.
‘Our local community is very passionate when it comes to environmental issues, so it’s about changing people’s mindset when it comes to single-use items in the market,’ Tom says. ‘They are used for such a short period of time, but their impact on the environment lasts for decades.
‘As a market, and a community, we can take this simple step to move to reuse which results in less emissions, less waste generation and less litter in our environment.’
So, when visiting Byron Farmers Market next, don’t forget to bring your reusable cup and containers, along with your market bags and baskets, or use the reusable options provided and help the market on its quest to become a zero-waste event.
Byron Farmers Market is held every Thursday from 7am to 11am at Butler St Reserve, and Bangalow Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 7am to 11am behind the Bangalow pub.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
