On Monday 29th of August, Plastic Oceans Australasia (POA) celebrated its 5th anniversary in Canberra at an event in Government House hosted by Their Excellencies the Honourable David Hurley, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia and Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley.
The event was attended by Ambassadors from various countries including Ecuador, the Philippines, Sweden, Italy and Indonesia, among others. Also present were stakeholders and politicians, with Senator Peter Whish-Wilson highlighting the importance of POA’s mission to change the world’s attitude to plastic within a generation. School children from two schools in Canberra were also in attendance.
During the event, The Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP Minister for the Environment and Water delivered a virtual message to congratulate POA for their achievements and reaffirm the Australian government’s commitment to tackle plastic pollution by taking unprecedented steps toward sustainable ocean management.
Through their work in business, science and education, POA continues to raise awareness and inspire people to act and make a difference in their communities. POA’s Executive Director, Ms Ricki Hersburgh said “being hosted by Their Excellencies emphasised how relevant and important the work and mission of POAs is. Being recognised by the head of state highlights that there is an enormous focus on plastic waste education, through science application to hasten action top-down and bottom-up delivery.”
Jo Ruxton, founder of POA and producer of the renowned documentary “A Plastic Ocean” joined the event live streamed from the UK to congratulate POA on this major milestone.
At the event, POA also launched the 2022 Picnics Unwrapped campaign taking place from September 1st - 30th offering multiple rewards for the best plastic-free picnics. The campaign is sponsored by TURN Systems, the world's leading company in capture and reuse systems and SaltWater Picnic Co.
To sign-up for the campaign and reduce the impact of plastic on our oceans, go to https://picnicsunwrapped.org.au/
POA is an environmental not-for-profit organisation that works throughout Australasia. Its mission is to change the way we deal with plastic waste by challenging society’s perception that this indestructible substance can be treated as ‘disposable’.
His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.
Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley with students and teachers from Aranda Primary School, Canberra Highschool and Plastic Oceans Australasia’s Executive Director Ms Ricki Hersburgh at the celebratory event.
The Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP Minister for the Environment and Water delivered a congratulatory message for POA.