I'm Plastic Free

17/09/2026

In 2021, we wrote about microplastics being released from paper coffee cups.

At the time, people told us we were “fear-mongering.”

PLA (polylactic acid) bioplastic-lined cups came onto the market, and many saw them as THE solution.

Now, a 2026 study from The University of Queensland has found that PLA-lined paper cups exposed to hot water released around 4.3 million nanoparticles per millilitre.

By mass, they released around 12 times more plastic material than PE-lined cups.

Bioplastic doesn't automatically mean microplastic-free.

At I'm Plastic Free, we’ve been researching and writing about microplastics in everyday consumer products since 2018.

The simplest solution?

Use a ceramic, stainless steel or glass mug.

Our research is linked in the comments.

15/09/2026

Some friends in Europe have asked to see The Lucky Country 🇦🇺 documentary… oops… The Plastic Country we meant!

Well, it’s fantastic to hear that this great documentary is now free on YouTube for everyone around the world to watch!

Great work, Kal Glanznig and everyone involved!

Have you watched it?

What do you think?

Find the link in the comments.


Image Credit: The Plastic Country

09/09/2026

At last. A training course for product suppliers. We've been working hard behind the scenes (yes, including weekends!), but today we're incredibly excited to announce our new online course: "Microplastics in Non-food Consumer Products."

The timing couldn't be more fitting: it launches right alongside the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization ICPHSO International Symposium 2026, where microplastics have been placed on the agenda for the first time.

This course gives Procurement, Sourcing and Category Managers, QA and Compliance Professionals, Retailers, Importers, Founders, Small Business Owners etc. a clear, practical overview of Micro- and Nanoplastics (MNPs) as an emerging product hazard: how to identify the risk, what to actually do about it across your supply chain.

It's also built for government and public sector professionals working on product safety and regulatory standards.

We believe this is a world first: no one has yet created a course specifically designed to help organisations understand why microplastics matter: for product safety, for risk, for compliance, and for brand reputation.

None of this would have been possible without the help of Gail Greatorex from Product Safety Solutions, whose 30+ years in consumer product safety policy and compliance (including at the ACCC) shaped this course from the ground up. Thank you, Gail!



🔗 Link to the course in the comments. Please help us spread the word.

09/09/2026

UPDATE: This event has been postponed to OCTOBER 3, due to the rain.

To our Sunshine Coast followers:

The program for the beach cleanup this Saturday morning!

Our founder, Simona, will tell the story behind I'm Plastic Free towards the end of the event!

Visionary Ocean Warriors - Sunshine Coast Council - Tangaroa Blue - 91.9 SEA FM

07/09/2026

If you're in Australia, please sign this petition by Dr Sophie Scamps

We signed it too, of course!

Sign the petition today, and send a pre-written email to the Environment Minister, your local MP and your state senators calling for stronger national laws on plastic.

05/09/2026

Happy Father's Day to all the dads in Australia & New Zealand! 💙

To every father teaching the next generation to love and protect our planet, you're shaping a cleaner, plastic-free future one small step at a time.

Here's to the dads who choose reusable over disposable, who pick up litter on beach walks, and who show their kids that caring for the Earth is an act of love. 🌊

The greatest gift a father can give is a healthier world for their children to grow up in.

Happy Father's Day! 🤍

04/09/2026

To our Sunshine Coast based followers!

Who is joining us?

FREE COMMUNITY EVENT | CALOUNDRA

🎟️ GET YOUR FREE TICKET!

Plastic pollution doesn’t start in the ocean.

It starts on our streets, in our communities and across our catchments — travelling through stormwater systems and waterways before ultimately reaching the sea.

On Thursday 10 September, Take Action for Pumicestone Passage Inc. is bringing the community together for Take Action for Plastic Pollution — a FREE screening of the Australian documentary The Plastic Country, followed by a live Q&A focused on the problem and the solutions.

🎬 Community screening: The Plastic Country
💬 Live Q&A + community conversation
📅 Thursday 10 September 2026
⏰ 5:30pm – 7:00pm
📍 Caloundra Power Boat Club, Golden Beach
🎟️ FREE — registration essential

Our Q&A brings together voices working across environmental education, stormwater management, plastic pollution and community action:

🌊 Brad Dalrymple | Ocean Protect
♻️ Alison Foley | Ten Little Pieces
💧 Simona Paganetto | I’m Plastic Free
🔬 Trent Brumby | Microplastic Awareness Systems
🌿 Renay Wells | Take Action for Pumicestone Passage Inc.

And the Team from Visionary Ocean Warrior

We’ll explore how plastic moves through our communities and catchments, what happens once it enters our waterways, and importantly — what can actually be done about it.

This isn’t just a film screening.

A screening. A conversation. Real solutions.

Places are limited, so please register through Humanitix to confirm your seat:

🎟️ SCAN QR TO GET YOUR FREE TICKET

Please share this post, tag someone who should be part of the conversation, and help us fill the room. 💙

04/09/2026

To our Sunshine Coast based followers!

Head down to the Caloundra Power Boat club next Thursday evening and watch the powerful movie The Plastic Country with us, followed by a discussion around plastic pollution!

| Meet Simona Paganetto

What if reducing plastic pollution started with the choices we make every day?

This Thursday, we’re introducing another member of our Take Action for Plastic Pollution Q&A Panel — Simona Paganetto, Founder & Director of I’m Plastic Free.

Simona’s work focuses on something incredibly important: helping people and organisations understand where plastic enters our lives — and how we can meaningfully reduce our reliance on it.

Because tackling plastic pollution isn’t only about cleaning it up once it reaches our beaches and waterways.

It’s also about preventing it at the source.

♻️ Plastic reduction
🌱 Education
💡 Behaviour change

Simona will join our community Q&A following the screening of The Plastic Country, bringing a practical, solutions-focused perspective to the conversation about what individuals, businesses and communities can actually do differently.

📅 Thursday 10 September
🕠 5:30–7:00pm
📍 Caloundra Power Boat Club, Golden Beach
🎟️ FREE community event

Come along, ask questions and be part of the conversation.

Small actions matter. Collective action changes systems.

03/09/2026

Consumerism is the antidote to sustainability.

28/08/2026

Attention Sunshine Coast crew! 🌊🧹

Ready to trade trash for treasure?

Our friends at Visionary Ocean Warriors are hosting a beach clean-up at Happy Valley, Caloundra, and you’re invited!

🗓 Saturday, 12th September ⏰ 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

This isn't your average clean-up, it’s powered by Seaside Scavenge!

That means every piece of litter you pick up acts as currency to "buy" pre-loved clothes, books, and bric-a-brac donated by the local community.

It’s the ultimate zero-waste loop: clean our coastline, rethink waste as a resource, and take home some treasures.

We’ll be there getting our hands dirty, picking up plastic, and will share our story with our community.

Come say hi, bring your family, and let’s keep the Sunny Coast pristine! 💙

Who’s joining us?

Drop a 🌊 in the comments!