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Garage Sale Trail returns to Maribyrnong
Back again by popular demand, the Garage Sale Trail is returning to Maribyrnong for its fourth consecutive year! Capitalising on spring cleaning and decluttering around the City, the national sustainability campaign brings together local households, schools and community groups for a weekend of garage sales on 20 and 21 October.
Maribyrnong residents hosting a sale or shopping the trail are set to join over 400,000 Australians, who will choose to reuse at over 15,000 garage sales across the country. Reusing previously loved items helps extend the life and value of the goods and reduces the amount of waste going to landfill.
Continue reading.
For more information or to register your own sale, visit Garage Sale Trail. Registrations are free and open for households, schools, community groups and anyone who is up for a day of fun.
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Top tips to decluttering and getting ready for your garage sale
 1. Sort collections of stuff: Arrange ‘like with like’, as this helps you determine how much you have and also if you have duplicates. Consider getting some boxes at the ready and label them – stuff to keep, stuff to sell and stuff to recycle.
2. From the duplicates, choose the one you favour most to keep. Look out for damage, stains, wear and tear. Unless aging of the item adds extreme value, it’s time to let go and sell or responsibly dispose of these items. We don’t want you throwing out a Ming vase!
3. Start small – just one box or area of your home at a time. With Garage Sale Trail coming up, you can start to put your sale items aside each weekend in the lead up to having a fantastic sale come October 20 and 21. Tips courtesy of Tanya Lewis, author of Stuff Off!
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Young eco-warriors take Maribyrnong by storm
Council’s transformation of students into eco-warriors with the roll out of the free Environmental Program for Schools is being stepped up with the addition of two new workshop topics. The waste and environmental education workshops available to local schools and child care facilities is provided by the award winning Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES) who have been contracted to provide the program.
 The program aims to teach students how waste and recycling impact the environment, and introduces simple actions that they can take to reduce waste. The workshops include hands-on activities such as worm farming and composting, student-led waste audits, calculating food miles and the option to go on an excursion to the CERES sustainable urban farm. Continue reading.
To find out more and to book, visit Environmental Programs For Schools
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Residents on the road to Recycle Right
More residents are correctly sorting their recycling waste thanks to Council’s Recycle Right campaign.
 The campaign which ran from November 2017 to March 2018, inspected 10,000 bins across the city, and found that 58.3% of recycling bins had at least one item that can’t be recycled – with the most common offender being soft plastics. The issue of placing non-recyclable items in a recycling bin means large loads of recycling waste is tainted. Placing recyclable items in a normal waste bin will add to landfill. Continue reading.
Top tips for recycling right:
1. Keep recycling out of plastic bags: if you put your recycling in plastic bags it can end up in landfill because it can’t be sorted and recycled.
2. Please make sure items are empty: remove leftover solid food scraps
3. Check for recycling in every room: bathroom, laundry, kitchen, lounge and study.
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Waste Minimisation Strategy
 Council has a number of policies, strategies and guidelines to guide decision making on environmental issues including waste management, and in order to keep moving with our growing community needs, Council are reviewing the Waste Minimisation Strategy, and asking for feedback.
Our Environmental Services team have engaged with schools to understand student perceptions of waste, and undertake surveys. Over the next coming months, Council will be engaging with the broader community.
Find out more about Council's Waste Minimisation Strategy here, or to keep informed on the review process, email environment@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au.
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Solar success at the Drill Hall...
As part of Council’s ongoing commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a 7.5kW solar system and changed the lighting over to LED at the Drill Hall in Barkly St Footscray. The Women’s Circus and Snuff Puppets, who both operate out of the Drill Hall, will benefit financially from the solar and energy efficient lighting with lower energy bills. This will enable them to continue their great work in the community by reducing the financial stress of high energy bills.
 Devon Taylor from the Women’s Circus says “Women's Circus is thrilled to have worked closely with Council to realize this wonderful sustainability project at The Drill Hall- our home for the past 15 years. As an organization that provides a huge range of training, community and creative programs in The Drill Hall, providing clean and sustainable lighting and renewable power is an important feature for us. The installation of LED's and solar panels supports our organisation's financial health and also aligns beautifully with our goals of creating a quality and comfortable training space and supporting a more sustainable future for our community."
Andy Freer of Snuff Puppets shared Devon's delight, "Thank you for installing and upgrading the lighting in the Drill Hall. The new LED lighting is brilliant, literally. The new system could not be better, and is saving us money on electricity bills. The installation of solar panels on the Drill Hall roof is also a brilliant council initiative. The Drill Hall is a historic and iconic building and now with solar panels it exemplifies how council can bring it's heritage buildings into the 21st century while supporting it's tenants with lower electricity bills. We hope the council will continue to find ways for the historic Drill Hall to be a leader in supporting and embracing the global movement toward clean, efficient and renewable energy."
...and RecWest too!
 RecWest Braybrook has also benefitted from a recent 30kW solar system, a lighting changeover to LED and other energy efficiency upgrades. The energy efficiency upgrades translates to cheaper energy bills, less maintenance issues with a prolonged lifespan for the lighting, and reduced heating costs. Savings of $718 have already been achieved by the solar since the system was switched on last month.
Gerald Dixon, Centre Manager, said YMCA Victoria was proud to work with Council on improving the sustainability of its facilities through strategies to reduce energy and water consumption, advocating for healthier environments, and educating the community to be more environmentally aware. “YMCA Victoria is delighted by the decision of Maribyrnong City Council's Sustainability team to install solar panels at RecWest Braybrook. The centre joins a growing list of YMCA-managed sites to use renewable energy, as part of the organisation’s commitment to minimising its environmental impact. The installation of the solar panels, along with the installation of LED lighting through the stadium two years ago, significantly reduces RecWest Braybrook's carbon footprint, and sets a high standard for similar sites to follow.”
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Council armed with secret weapon in war on waste
The w ar on waste is being stepped up by Maribyrnong City Council with the launch of the new on call service Thread: Collect. The service enables residents to call up and have their unwanted clothes, household items and small electrical waste collected for recycling to reduce waste to landfill. Continue reading.
Find out more about the program and what can be collected here: www.threadcollect.com.au
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Event Wrap Up:
Maidstone Communal Compost Workshop
Council’s Environmental Services team are working in partnership with local residents in a multi-unit dwelling to trial a communual compost system. The aim of the trial is to measure waste and evaluate the diversion rate when a communal waste-diversion system is adopted by residents. Residents are encouraged to learn about actions they can take and to sharing their learnings and experiences with their neighbours.
As part of this composting trial, an educational composting workshop was held in September to
engage local residents in multi-unit dwellings and begin the journey of implementing more sustainable waste practices. The workshop demonstrated composting, worm farming and Bokashi. Workshop participants who completed a waste survey, received a compost caddy for their apartment/home for collecting food scraps in their kitchen.
 
Gardening in Small Spaces Workshop
A glorious, sunshine-filled day, and a great turn out from our community (another booked out event!) for our Gardening in Small Spaces workshop at Yarraville Community Garden on Saturday 8 September.
Workshop participants learnt design elements for small sustainable gardens, growing in pots and containers and how to grow a food gardening when space is limited. Community learnt the many tips, tricks and simple solutions to make their home garden seem bigger, to overcome constraints and grow a garden which is good for the environment. Thanks to Sustainable Gardening Australia for another interesting and engaging session, and to our friends at the garden for kindly hosting the event.
 
Native Bee & Beneficial Insects Hotel Workshop
What a beautiful day and an amazing team effort at our Native Bee and Beneficial Insects Hotel Workshop on Sunday 26 August! The sun was shining and the tools were out as workshop participants created a large native bee and pollinator hotel at the Braybrook Commons Community Garden, complete with a green roof, using many recycled and salvaged materials and native bee attracting plants.
we built our bee hotel. Native bees are important for our ecosystem, biodiversity, and play a critical role in our food systems. We can't wait to see the first of the inhabitants move in!
 
To learn more about bees, and hear from a local bee keeper about his journey into bee keeping, come along to a talk about bees presented by Yarraville Community Garden on Saturday 6 October.
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Sustainable Living Maribyrnong Events
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Maribyrnong Garage Sale Trail
Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 October 2018
Various locations across Maribyrnong City Council.
Garage Sale Trail is a free festival of over 16,100 garage sales that happens in communities across Australia annually. Save the date! The next Garage Sale Trail is taking place on Saturday 20 October and Sunday 21 October 2018.
Don't forget to ask for your seller pack (numbers are very limited - so jump on it quickly!). Join The Movement — Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 October 2018.
FREE EVENT. For more information and to register, visit Garage Sale Trail.
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Sustainable Home Tour
Sunday 4 November, 10am - 12noon
Yarraville. Private residence - address available for bookings.
Knowing how to get started when buying, building or renovating your sustainable home can be tricky. There's a lot to consider - from passive design to green technology, to selecting the right builder or finding the right materials. Melbourne Vernacular, in collaboration with Maribyrnong City Council, welcome you into their sustainable home.
FREE EVENT. SOLD OUT - Waitlist here.
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Citizen Science Urban Microclimate Project
December 2018 to February 2019
Various locations within Maribyrnong City Council.
Interested in being a citizen scientist? We are looking for enthusiastic people to become citizen scientists and participate in microclimatic measurement of your neighbourhood. The number of extreme hot days is predicted to increase significantly over the next few decades in all Australian cities with detrimental impacts on public health, mortality rates, energy demand and economy. The results from this study will provide data required for citizens to understand, mitigate and adapt to extreme heat. You will be participating in a two-hour long measurement campaign on a selected afternoon during this summer during which you will be participating in various experiments.
FREE EVENT. To register your interest in participating in this groundbreaking environmental project and for further information, visit here.
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Spring Flowers on Display
Friday 5 October at 7.50pm
The Australian Plants Society, Keilor Plains Group
Main Hall, Raleigh Road Activity Centre (ex RSL)
54 Raleigh Rd, Maribyrnong.
Spring Flowers on Display from members gardens at The Australian Plants Society, Keilor Plains Group. Come and join us for our annual display of beautiful and interesting native flowers for the home garden with expert tips on growing them from the experts. You will be amazed at the colours and diversity of native flowers from all over Australia that can be grown in our local area. Plant sales, guest speaker and supper. All welcome. For more information visit http://www.apskeilorplains.org.au/ or email info@apskeilorplains.org.au.
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A Talk About Bees
Saturday 6 October at 10am-12noon
Clare Court Children's Services
40 Court Street, Yarraville.
Hear local bee keeper discuss his journey into bee keeping. Equipment needed, what's involved in helping them stay healthy,
the importance of bees and threats to their health world wide. Is supermarket honey real honey? Are bees in swarm dangerous?
Why is Australia the best place in the world for bees? In partnership with Yarraville Community Centre, Clare Court Children's Services and Permaculture Out West. This project is supported through the Maribyrnong City Council Community Grant Program. For more information, and to book, visit here.
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Love Our Street 3032 Clean Up
Sunday 21 October, 10am
Jacks Magazine Carpark. Magazine Way Maribyrnong Near the Lake.
Do you have a spare hour to join Love Our Street 3032 for a monthly community street clean, and do something great for the environment? This is great opportunity for Maribyrnong residents to meet their neighbours, clean up our streets and river and have a coffee. Become part of the wider BeachPatrol network of more than 2,300 volunteers whilst cleaning the streets. This is a free community event. For more information or to participate, visit https://www.beachpatrol.com.au/LOS/LOS-3032
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Beeswax Food Wraps
Saturday 27 October, 2.30pm – 4.30pm
Yarraville Community Centre, 59 Francis St, Yarraville.
Learn how to make these increasingly popular beeswax wraps and help eliminate plastic forever. Perfect alternative to cling wrap and zip lock bags for covering bowls of leftovers and packing in lunchboxes. These wraps keep food fresh and hygienic, made from beeswax, the wraps are washable, reusable and compostable. Be part of the solution with this practical and fun sustainability workshop.
Cost $59. For more information and register, visit here.
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No Dig Gardening
Sunday 18 November, 10.00am – 1pm
Yarraville Community Centre, 114 Blackwood St, Yarraville.
Grow your own edible Summer garden, even without a backyard. Learn how to grow veggies, herbs or flowers in any vessel using a no dig gardening method. Grow in a pot, bucket or even a gumboot on any surface. Build and take home your own small potted up veggie container in this hands on workshop. Perfect for renters, apartment dwellers and homeowners alike. Whether you are new to gardening or already have a green thumb, you’ll then get the opportunity to build your own portable veggie patch to take home.
Cost $55. For more information and register, visit here.
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Join Compost Community Maribyrnong
 Say goodbye to food waste and join the Maribyrnong Compost Community! Compost Community offers free tutorials, activities and a community forum on composting systems - from bokashi to worm farming and even raising your own backyard chooks!
Joining is free and all members are eligible to purchase subsidised composting equipment, including a $30 discount on available products.
Visit Compost Community to sign up today.
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Calling all Nature Explorers
 Become a Nature Explorer and discover the wonders of your local environment with a Nature Explorer Kit!
This hands-on educational resource is designed to encourage children and their families to explore their local environment. Kits include binoculars, bug viewers, torch, night scope, animal guides, environmental information, and a nature journal for capturing your experience and sharing it with others.
Get your hands on one of our fun Nature Explorer kits - book online and pop into one of our Maribyrnong Library Branches.
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Hop into it this Spring!
 Frogs play an important role in the waterway ecosystem and are easily affected by changes to their environment. Get involved in community frog monitoring, and collect data to help manage frog populations and raise awareness of waterway health issues.
Spring is one of the best times to record frog calls, so jump on board, become a citizen scientist and download the frog census app today! Find out more at Melbourne Water.
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Council Programs For You!
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My Smart Garden
The My Smart Garden program is a highly successful sustainable gardening program concepted and managed by three local councils in inner west Melbourne – Moonee Valley, Hobsons Bay and Maribyrnong. We actively strive to build the resilience of local people living with a changing climate and scarcer resources.
Since 2011, our program has grown a network of over 1500 urban gardeners who are now gardening ‘smarter’: that is, harvesting and using water efficiently, growing food, using organic pesticides, recycling wastes and using vegetation to shelter their homes. Our program aims to deliver training, provides best-practice gardening resources and build community connections around sustainable urban gardening.
For more information, visit: www.mysmartgarden.org.au
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Food Know How
Food Know How is an award winning program that helps households reduce the amount of food they throw away.
The program helps households to avoid and minimise food waste by providing you with easy ways to get the most out of menu and meal planning, using leftovers, and tips about smart shopping and food storage, as well as composting and worm farming.
For more information, visit: www.foodknowhow.org.au/
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