Culture change needed as Cronulla RSL Club eliminates single use plastic

Placed end to end, the line of straws would reach from Cronulla to Manly.

The club's waste output also included many thousands of plastic garbage bin liners, gloves and other single-use plastics.

All that changed, when the club heeded an appeal by the Chamber of Commerce to be a business and community leader in the bold environmental initiative Plastic Free Cronulla, which was launched two years ago.

The club has now eliminated single use plastic from its operations and, through this and other waste reduction initiatives, become a sustainable venue and an example to others.

Chief executive Sue McNeill said it had involved "a complete change in culture" for management, staff and members.

"Everyone wants to be environmentally friendly, but it's a real challenge giving up something you are used to having," she said.

"People are quite supportive overall. I think Cronulla as a community is quite conscious of the injury and harm caused to sealife due to plastic pollution.

"We thought it might be cost prohibitive, but found quality alternative products without putting the business under financial stress. If a big operation like we have can do it, I think anyone can."

Trainee manager Isabelle White, who led the project said, "Our first step was to review every single use plastic usage and it became evident our main issues were plastic straws, gloves and garbage bin liners".

"Working with Kal Glanznig and the Plastic Free Cronulla team, we were able to make this transition in an economically viable way while still ensuring durability of our products."

Ms White said strong, biodegradable bags were placed in every bar to separate bottles, cans and hard plastics, while a bailer and cardboard crusher had also been installed.

Food waste had been greatly reduced through the use of an ORCA, a machine that "digests" up to one tonne of food waste per day, converting it into environmentally safe water that flows, via a grease interceptor, into the sewage system, she said.