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Welcome to the Recycle Right Newsletter
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SMRC ENewsletter
WASTE TO COMPOST: SCIENCE NETWORK
Pic: An aerial view of SMRC’s Regional Resource Recovery Centre in Canning Vale. The WCF can be seen on the bottom right.

The innovative composting process of the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council’s (SMRC) Waste Composting Facility (WCF) was featured by Science Network WA in their weekly news.

The story detailed how the WCF produces more than 20,000 tonnes of compost a year and in doing so diverts 46,400 tonnes of garbage from landfill.

SMRC Chief Executive Tim Youé explains how the composting process, which recovers the contents of green-topped bins, has a positive environmental impact.

“This process prevents 32,000 tonnes  of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year—equivalent to taking 7000 cars off the road,” he said.

“Through composting we are able to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and reduce the environmental impact of greenhouse gases by creating carbon dioxide instead of methane.”

The composting process uses large scale machinery and technology including a large indoor tipping floor, large digestors, and a temperature controlled aeration building. The WCF’s four digesters are the largest in the southern hemisphere.

At the end of the process and after a final screening, high quality mature compost is ready for use. This compost is used to put nutrients back into the soil and for improving  agricultural crops in the Great Southern and Wheatbelt regions of WA. To read the full story, visit Science Network

Presentation: Total Marine Technology

Pic: Total Marine Technology’s Clint Allen and Francesca Nyakunu with Recycle Right’s Emma Baker and Chloe Rothery (centre)

In addition to the tours of the Regional Resource Recovery Centre, Recycle Right offers presentations and incursions to businesses and organisations that want to reduce their waste footprint or find out more about sustainability and recycling.

Recently Education Officer Emma Baker and Community Engagement Officer Chloe Rothery attended Total Marine Technology and passed on some tips to the team about recycling right.

If you’d like to book a presentation please call Emma on 9256 9528 or via email - tours@smrc.com.au
POLYSTYRENE?

Yes. Polystyrene or Styrofoam, including beads used in bean bags, cushions, packing beads, can’t be recycled if placed in household bins. Instead drop it off at CLAW Environmental in Welshpool.

For further information call 9333 4888 or visit the CLAW website

If you have Polystyrene or Styrofoam meat trays that are contaminated with lots of blood, place them in the green-topped bin along with the absorption pad.

For your A-Z of recycling, visit recycleright.wa.gov.au or download the app.

STRAWS REALLY SUCK

DID YOU KNOW?

Billions of plastic straws are used across the globe each year.

Almost all straws are used just once, often for a matter of minutes, before being disposed of.

Straws are rarely recycled and often end up in landfill – or worse, as litter which harms marine life.

Plastic waste accounts for 90% of litter floating in the world’s oceans.
 

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Refuse – Go straw free.

Replace – Use reusable glass or metal straws. These alternatives are readily available and will greatly reduce your waste footprint. Paper straws are a more environmentally friendly option if reusable versions are unavailable.

Discuss – Let cafés and stores know why you don’t want a straw and encourage them to find alternatives.

Plastic Free July has some helpful resources: plasticfreejuly.org

 

RECYCLE RIGHT AT GARDEN CITY

Pics: The Recycle Right team running activities at Garden City

In August the Recycle Right team, in partnership with the City of Melville’s Piney Lakes Environmental Education Centre, ran four days of activities promoting recycling and sustainable living at Garden City shopping centre.

Many kids (and adults too) learnt how to make an origami seed pot from recycled paper. Participants filled their pots with soil donated by Nutrarich and then planted a vegetable seed to take home.

The activity provided the perfect platform for the Recycle Right team to explain that the contents of green-topped bins are processed to make compost. They also reminded people of the importance of putting the correct items in each bin to ensure that contamination does not occur.

Look out for our team running more free sustainable activities at this year’s Perth Royal Show in September/October.

CLOTHES SWAP DAY AT St. JOHN'S MURDOCH
 

Pics : Left: Carolyn Ryder & Leanne Merchant of St. John of God Murdoch Hospital. Right: Staff & volunteers.


It’s always great to see passionate members of the community creating their own initiatives designed to encourage recycling at home or in the workplace. It’s a perfect way to spread the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ message and to come together as a team.

Recently, St John of God Murdoch Hospital ran a successful ‘Clothes Swap Day’ with hospital staff and volunteers.

The event came about following staff requests for an opportunity to clear out their wardrobes and use a token system in place of cash. A committee baked for the hospital’s charity of the year, Headspace, and raised $378 through a gold coin donation morning tea.

In honour of Plastic Free July, the event was plastic free - using china cups and recycled and reusable carry bags to take home treasures.  

“As a result of the event, Murdoch is going to focus on all future decommissioned assets to ensure that they are donated to a community group or not for profit wherever possible, to divert resources away from landfill. Recently (last week) we donated an Andrew’s Operating bed to Australian Doctors for Africa who had a place for it in Madagascar where they are refurbishing a hospital,” organiser Carolyn Ryder said.

This was a great team effort with many positive social and environmental outcomes - not only locally but globally. Well done!
COMPETITIONS - RESULTS 2015

CONGRATULATIONS - WORM FARM WINNERS!


We’ve given away two worm farms this month to a lucky reader of our eNewsletter, Charlie van Sittert, and to Jane Balcombe, who attended our Garden City activities.


Worms are a great way to deal with kitchen waste - they’ll eat most scraps and produce a high-quality liquid fertiliser. Natural, inexpensive and really good for the environment!

Charlie (3.5 years), already a keen composter, was rapped with the prize and was keen to start getting it working.

“I like recycling and green waste and compost bins and worm farms. I know a lot about rubbish and what goes in a recycling bin. I’d love a worm farm to go next to my compost bin.”

Congratulations to Charlie and Jane and happy farming!

Pic: Charlie very happy with his Worm Farm

EAST HAMILTON HILL VISIT THE RRRC


Students from East Hamilton Hill Primary School recently visited the RRRC in Canning Vale. The children were able to learn about the importance of recycling, waste recovery and sustainable living. All participants were inspired and sent us some excellent illustrations of the facilities.

Our school tours take approximately 1.5 hours and include a look at waste being processed at our state-of-the-art facilities from safe observation decks. We also walk through the on-site Banksia Woodland and Community Garden.


Pics: Students from East Hamilton Hill Primary School and their creative illustrations

For more information on our free tours, contact Education Officer Emma Baker on 9256 9528 or tours@smrc.com.au
TOOTHBRUSHES

The green-topped bin.

Used toothbrushes cannot be recycled and should be placed in your green-topped bin for disposal.

For your A-Z of recycling, visit recycleright.wa.gov.au or download the app.

KEEP ON TRUCKIN' - RECYCLE RIGHT IN COCKBURN


Pics: Recycle Right City of Cockburn waste trucks
You may have noticed some fresh Recycle Right branded waste trucks travelling around the City of Cockburn.


We’ve created some colourful adverts to spread the Recycle Right message far and wide. Each truck has an essential tip to encourage recycling which will make a big difference to resource recovery and the environment.

All vehicle messages target a common mistake made by households and provide a simple solution.

The messages include;
  • Even broken glass should go in the yellow-top bin
  • Place all plastics in your yellow-top bin
  • Batteries and other hazardous waste shouldn’t go in any bin

These adverts join a fleet of branded waste collection trucks in Fremantle and Melville, and a suite of buses in the southern metropolitan area.
SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR WASTE

We run free tours of the Regional Resource Recovery Centre from Monday to Friday and once a month on a Saturday for anyone interested in understanding exactly what happens after the vergeside bin collection.


Schools, community groups and individuals are welcome and bookings are essential.

The next community tour dates open to families and individuals are:

Saturday 5 September
Saturday 3 October

Other dates can be arranged for groups. To discuss your tour requirements, please contact Emma Baker on 9256 9528 or tours@smrc.com.au

COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP

Community Advisory Group

If you would like to join the CAG or learn more about what they do please contact them on the details below.

Please email smrccag@gmail.com or write to them at
SMRC Community Advisory Group,
PO Box 1501, Booragoon WA 6154
SMRC Member Council Logos
SMRC Member Council Logos
To provide feedback or request an accessible version of this document please contact us.

Copyright © 2015 Resource Recovery Group, All rights reserved.


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