![Making a change: Lorenza Meneghini and Laura Bailey with the ?Bring soft plastic recycling to Margaret River supermarkets? petition. People who want to add their names can find the petition at The Good Olive, Bussell Hwy until July 13.
?We [hope] to get as many signatures as possible!? Laura said.](/images/transform/v1/resize/frm/silverstone-feed-data/44de170e-a82a-4e3e-8cc4-f1e4350f7e6c.jpg/w576_h298_fmax.webp "Making a change: Lorenza Meneghini and Laura Bailey with the ?Bring soft plastic recycling to Margaret River supermarkets? petition. People who want to add their names can find the petition at The Good Olive, Bussell Hwy until July 13.
?We [hope] to get as many signatures as possible!? Laura said.")
MORE than 60 people kick-started their Plastic Free July challenge on Sunday at the Margaret River Fair Harvest Permaculture Farm.
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People enjoyed cake and coffee, information stalls by local groups, environmental talks and exploring the farm as they were encouraged to avoid using one-use plastic items such as coffee cups for a month.
Talks outlined that reducing plastic waste would benefit everyone in the future.
Augusta-Margaret River Shire chief executive Gary Evershed spoke of the council's involvement in Plastic Free July and acknowledged the community's efforts in advance.
"It's not going to be easy," he said.
In regards to the environment, Mr Evershed said "the management of plastic is the problem."
He told listeners the shire was currently concerned with its Davis Road landfill site and was working to get it up to scratch according to regulations."We're stockpiled too high," he said.
"There's issues we have to improve."
He said ratepayers could expect to pay a $70 increase per household per year in rates to help fix the site, which will cost the shire about $4 million.
Mr Evershed encouraged everyone to think about reducing their plastic waste.
Local groups supporting the event included the Margaret River Regional Environment Centre, Surfrider, the Margaret River Farmers Market, Fair Harvest and Tangaroa Blue.
