This week (August 15-21) is also Keep Australia Beautiful Week, and in 2022 we are all being challenged to focus on waste reduction by containing our waste – literally, to one container.
Whilst it’s important to recycle and reuse, reducing waste right at the source is the most effective and efficient way to make a genuine impact in Australia, to decrease the amount of litter we find in our streets and public areas.
So for one week, Australian households are challenged to choose an existing container from around the house – a jar, a tub, or a bucket – and contain the amount of waste produced in that week to the capacity of the container.
While that might seem impossible, you could be surprised by just how much you can #containyourwaste, by:
– Composting food waste. Avoid overfilling the container with food scraps and divert household food waste from landfill by placing it in your home compost bin.
– Separating soft plastics. Collect soft plastics in a separate container and drop them off (clean and dry) to your local supermarket at the RedCycle collection point at the end of the week.
– Making a weekly meal plan and shopping list. Think ahead, plan your meals for the week and shop smart. Try to use products readily available in your household. Avoid excessive purchases and only buy essential items with compostable or recyclable packaging.
– Going DIY for the week. Challenge yourself to discover new ways to be creative around the house. Cook it, bake it, make it or mend it yourself.
What goes in your container?
– Wet wipes (Unless labelled as 100 per cent home compostable)
– Anything made from polystyrene or cellophane
– Anything plastic that’s smaller than a 20c coin
– Syringes or medical waste (@terracycleau have free public drop off points for a range of medical waste materials)
– Toiletry tubes (@terracycleau will also take a range of toiletries)
– Everything plastic that doesn’t have a recycle logo (Coffee cups can be recycled via @simplycups.australia)
