COUNCIL IN FOCUS
Everything old is new again A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN IS GIVING RESIDENTS OF VICTORIAN COASTAL REGIONS GEELONG AND THE SURF COAST A ROADMAP TO BUYING RECYCLED.
48 / WMR / October 2021
Image: Ryan Mischkulnig
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t’s one thing to put things in a recycling bin, it’s another to buy recycled. And with Federal government export bans on mixed plastic waste imminent, it’s more important than ever to support and develop Australia’s recycling industry, according to Linda Grant, Barwon South West and Resource Recovery Group (BSWRRG) Education Officer. BSWRRG is driving a campaign, funded by major councils in the Barwon South West region, to find ways to encourage people to explore recycled options and help “close the loop” at a grassroots level. The campaign’s online Zero Waste Map identifies a range of products and services to help people reduce their waste. A recently added ‘Buy Recycled’ category highlights businesses and products that have recycled content. More than 150 regional businesses are listed. A series of pavement stencils helps highlight where these businesses are, while mobile billboards showing the Buy Recycled web address are moved around the region. “We want to encourage people to have a look and explore recycled options for themselves,” Linda says. “As consumers, we can all do our bit by buying products that have recycled content.”
Some of Ryan Mischkulnig’s repurposed products at The Reimaginarium.
Linda began with BSWRRG more than three years ago. Prior to that she worked in the waste industry, mainly in catchment and land management. Her personal journey in waste reduction “really took off ” when she and a group of friends watched the ABC TV documentary series War On Waste. “We were all a bit shocked into action,” she says. “We formed a group to encourage and support others to reduce their waste. We ran some fun activities
and participated in initiatives like Plastic Free July. “Then we started an unpackaged co-op which allowed us to purchase products in whatever quantity we needed, which is one of the keys to reducing food waste. It also allowed us to reduce the amount of packaging we were consuming. The packaging that we did receive was either reused or directed to the correct recycling channels.” She says the Barwon South West Zero Waste Map and Buy Recycled campaign evolved from a local
