Trent Zimmerman (North Sydney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Plastic makes up around 80 per cent of all marine litter. In 2050 it is estimated that there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by weight. That is why I'm proud to be part of a government that takes plastic pollution in our oceans so seriously. At today's National Plastics Summit, around 200 industry representatives, state and local governments, scientists and school children are taking part to address the challenges of plastic and recycling. I particularly want to acknowledge one participant: 11-year-old Alexander Spring of Cremorne, who I met this morning at the summit.

Alexander's passion for a sustainable future led him to start the 'kids off the grid' initiative, which sought to encourage his school mates at Middle Harbour primary school to recycle plastic bottles using the New South Wales Return and Earn scheme. The money made from Alexander's program was then used to pay for solar panels to increase his school's energy self-sufficiency. It's a great example of the passion I see among so many school students in my electorate to make a difference in areas like this and climate change.

At the national level, our government is committed to working with businesses to significantly increase the use of recyclable materials as well as phase out problematic plastics by 2025. I want to commend the Prime Minister for taking the lead on this important matter. Today's summit is about the future and our younger generation. People like Alexander Spring have the right to expect that we will work to protect our oceans from the incredible damage being done by plastic pollution.