their communities and their economies , the Plastic Free Places program is an intervention worthy of consideration .
REFERENCES
REGIONAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS Applying the results of the Plastic Free Places program economic benefits analysis to all cafes in Noosa and throughout Queensland shows that the regional economic impacts are significant . Specifically :
• Extrapolating the results for one average café to 85 cafes in Noosa ( out of around 200 , or just over 40 % which is assessed by Boomerang Alliance to be an achievable figure after three years ), increases the net present value ( 6 % discount rate over 40 years ) of the Plastic Free Places program to around $ 22 million . This is to say that the Noosa community would be $ 22 million better off in terms of the value the community places on the net benefits achieved .
• If we were to translate this into estimated employment outcomes , a $ 22 million boost to the Noosa economy would support an estimated 250 local jobs in Noosa alone .
• Extrapolating the results to the whole of Queensland suggests an estimated $ 944 million ( 6 % discount rate over 40 years ) in net benefits to the Queensland economy .
Left : Compostable materials offer an environmentally and economically sustainable alternative to plastics
Above : Plastic Free cafes are also BYO-friendly
Images source : Evelina Katarzynski
There may be other local and regional economic development benefits too . Potential value-added opportunities for investment and employment could include , for example :
• Opportunities to cater for increased demand for commercial composting ;
• Opportunities for producers of compostable products used in takeaway packaging ;
• R & D which feeds into the development of new and superior products ( including home-compostable products );
• Composting products that can be marketed for their contribution to waste minimisation ; and
• Opportunities for wholesalers targeting plastic-conscious traders and consumers .
The benefit-cost ratio and the estimated regional economic benefits of the Plastic Free Places program demonstrate a strong and robust economic case for supporting the program ’ s delivery throughout Queensland . For local governments throughout Australia looking to effect positive change for their environment , for
Boomerang Alliance ( 2019 ), Plastic Free Places – Overview
Commonwealth of Australia ( 2016 ), Toxic tide : the threat of marine plastic pollution in Australia
CSIRO ( 2020 ) Microplastic Pollution in Deep-sea Sediments from the Great Australian Bight , Frontiers in Marine Science
CSIRO ( 2014 ), Marine debris : sources , distribution and fate of plastic and other refuse – and its impact on ocean and coastal wildlife
Ellen Macarthur Foundation ( 2017 ), The New Plastics Economy : Rethinking the Future of Plastics and Catalysing Action
IBISWorld ( May 2019 ), Cafes and Coffee Shops in Australia
Lennon , S . ( 2014 ), Addressing the Determinants of Sustainable Economic Development , in Economic Development , The Quarterly Journal of Economic Development Australia , Volume 7 , Issue 1
SC Lennon & Associates ( October 2019 ), Plastic Free Places Program Economics Benefits Study , prepared on behalf of the Department of Environment and Science
:// www . plasticfreeplaces . org /, viewed 6th October 2020
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
ROGER GIBBINS Roger Gibbins is a Melbourne-based consultant who holds more than 30 years ’ experience specialising in feasibility analysis , infrastructure planning , land economics , tourism , cost-benefit analysis , economic impact assessment and business case preparation . He is an Associate with SC Lennon & Associates .
TOBY HUTCHEON Toby Hutcheon is the Queensland Boomerang Alliance Manager . His previous experience includes time as a Greenpeace campaigner . Toby has worked for the Western Sydney Waste
Board on waste to resource issues and he ran a consultancy advising businesses , governments and communities on zero waste initiatives . Toby was also the Executive Director of the Queensland Conservation Council from 2004 to 2014 .
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