Dunedin Students: Plan to Tackle Plastic Use

Dunedin Secondary Students Release Plan Tackling Plastic Bag Use To Council And Retailers

Dunedin, 15 June: On Tuesday 16 June, a group of Dunedin high school students have called a meeting with DCC councillors and representatives from major retailers in the city. The group, who came together for the 2009 Dunedin Secondary Students' Climate Forum (DSSCF) in May, will be unveiling a plan they have developed to address the use of plastic shopping bags.

“The principle goal of the Action Plan is to make Dunedin a national leader in reducing the use of disposable shopping bags,” said Celia Neilson, DSSCF co-facilitator. “We hope that if we lead the way, the rest of the country will follow.”

Last year's Climate Forum produced the DSSCF 08 Communiqué, a vision for a more resilient future for Dunedin. This vision was supported by signatures from over half of Dunedin secondary school pupils. Adopted by the Dunedin City Council as a reference for future decision-making, Mayor Peter Chin described the students' vision as “inspiring”. This year, participants focused on plastic bag use, recognising it as one aspect of the Communiqué on which they could make a significant impact locally.

According to Paul Young, DSSCF co-facilitator, “the issue extends beyond the direct impacts of plastic bags. We see this as a foot in the door to confronting the wider issues of wastefulness, which accelerates us ever faster towards peak oil, environmental degradation, and dangerous climate change.”

The students will reveal the details of their Action Plan at Tuesday's meeting, which will be held at the Clifford Skeggs Gallery in the Council Chambers, from 3:30-4:30pm. Until then they are keeping tight-lipped about what it entails, saying only that “it involves some exciting ideas that are a first for New Zealand.”

Press are welcome to join the students for their presentation. There will be an opportunity to speak with student representatives directly following the presentation.

ENDS

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