Western Australian businesses, local governments and community groups will share in $150,379 to help tackle waste and improve recycling.
The WasteSorted Community Education Grants will go towards educational workshops and events, as well as creating recycling guides and books for children. The projects promote reducing, reusing and recycling, and changing daily habits.
The McGowan Government has provided more than $7.5 million in grants since 2017 for projects which improve the recovery and reuse of materials including plastics, construction and demolition waste, textiles as well as food organics and garden organics.
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As stated by Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
“I want to congratulate all grant recipients for their commitment to promoting the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling.
“We each have a role to play in creating a low-waste, sustainable State. Small changes at an individual level combine to make a big impact and we can only be successful together.
“These grants are a great example of the community inspiring and educating the next generation on waste and making a positive difference for our environment.”
WasteSorted Community Education Grants recipients:
City of Joondalup – The Joondalup GREAT Waste Challenge ($13,035)
The project will provide five community workshops – Gift, Recycle, Earthcycle, Avoid and Take. Workshop participants will feature in five videos making a pledge to ‘Be a GREAT Sort’, sharing their commitment to reducing household waste. The videos will be launched on social media over five weeks inviting the community to make their own ‘Be a GREAT Sort’ pledge.
Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale – SJ Plastic Free Living Community Education Program 2023 ($19,908)
A series of waste education workshops will be held between January and August 2023, in the lead up to a new event for the Shire during Plastic Free July – the SJ Plastic Free Forum. It will be an annual event involving an indoor market alongside the existing SJ Farmers Markets, where residents and businesses can sell plastic-free products, repurposed or upcycled products, provide information stalls, free giveaways and competitions related to the workshops.
Green Skills Inc. – Partnerships to Be a GREAT Sort: Education and Behaviour Change Activities in Rural WA South Coast Communities ($17,400)
Green Skills will run waste workshops, have GREAT Sorts information marquees at events and conduct business waste audits to support informed purchasing decisions, how to be GREAT Sorts, and what can be reused. The activities will focus on consumer choice, food
waste and sorting for waste reduction and recycling.
Victoria Park Community Centre – Waste Education Workshops ($7,868.74)
Six after-school and weekend waste workshops run by Lindsay Miles (Treading My Own Path). Workshops will include a variety of waste topics, designed for parents and children.
Adventure Kids Entertainment – Patti the Pig: It’s Not All Rubbish Kids Show (Karratha Regional Tour) ($13,970)
Adventure Kids Entertainment, in partnership with the City of Karratha, will deliver the Patti
the Pig ‘It’s Not All Rubbish’ Kids show, targeting children aged 4-7 during March and April 2023. The show will be tailored to the waste management landscape in Karratha, focusing on the two-bin system and ways to avoid generating waste.
City of Busselton – Great Sort in Busselton ($3,235)
Four interactive community workshops will be offered on ‘A-Avoid’ and ‘G-Gifting’ topics. All workshops will include a virtual tour that highlights local places which provide opportunities to avoid waste and gift items.
City of Gosnells – Reducing contamination in commingled recycling through targeted community education and engagement ($15,113)
The project includes delivering simple waste and recycling guides in 16 languages to existing and new (through real estate agents) members of the City’s culturally and linguistically diverse community. It also includes printing and distribution of recycling bin stickers, a social media campaign, workshops for community members and targeted audiences, and a presence at the City of Gosnells Harmony Day event in 2023.
Australian Association for Environmental Education WA Chapter Inc – Waste Picture Book for Early Years STEM Focus ($25,000)
The project creates a digital picture book about recycling for children aged between 2 and 7, linked to early years learning frameworks and curriculum. The resource will include STEM activities (e.g. puppet construction using waste materials and found objects), practical activities for educators and parents to explore the science of materials and management of organic waste and paper-based products.
Good Sammy Enterprises – A-Z Charitable donations guide & donation bin stickers ($12,150)
The project will develop an A-Z guide of household goods and how these goods are managed by charitable recyclers (with links to the Recycle Right website), guidance to local governments, a flyer with guidance for customers who bring in donations that are not accepted, and stickers for community donation bins highlighting key messages.
Dalyellup Collective Inc – South West Greener Events Wash Trailer ($19,700)
A ‘South West all in one Wash Trailer’ will provide re-usable crockery, cutlery and dish washing services (including FOGO separate) for food stall patrons. The trailer will be made available to six shires to use at community events and festivals.
Boddington RRR Inc – Boddington RRR – Let’s talk rubbish ($3,000)
This project will provide at least 15 waste talks and visits to organisations, groups and events in 2023, with an average of 30 people per talk. Key themes include how to avoid and recover waste, as well as protect the environment with an emphasis on priority focus materials.
