Waste not

Would you love to see a waste-less world?

Recommendations for reducing waste in Hobart:

  1. Schools: That all schools are provided with the resources (human, budget, infrastructure) to achieve zero waste. This should also include active discouragement of the distribution of cheap products with a short lifespan to children (e.g. balloons, stickers, flags, plastic toys, blow-up hands, etc.)

  2. Governments: That all State, Federal and Council government workers (including cleaning and procurement staff) within the municipality are asked to complete a short web-based activity (visually-based for easy learning) and test each year to remind them what can be recycled and where. This offers an alternative to expensive workplace training.

  3. Events: That all public events run within the municipality are required to aim for zero waste (and provided with guidance and appropriate collection services to do so). This should also include active discouragement of the distribution of cheap products with a short lifespan (e.g. balloons, flags, plastic toys, blow-up hands, etc.)

  4. Businesses: That each business within the jurisdiction is provided with a free waste audit, procurement assessment and report outlining better ways they manage waste and buy smarter (local and recyclable products highlighted).

  5. Residents: That a kerbside all-organic-waste (food and green waste) service is provided, not just green waste. People need somewhere to put all their organic wastes which comprise over 40% of waste currently found in our kerbside bins.

  6. Farmers: That people within Hobart are actively and colourfully encourage to participate in the annual Tassievore - eat local program. This program encourages Tasmanians to eat more local food during the month of March (and leads to less packaging and food waste).

  7. Materials Recycling Facility: That Council spearheads a collaborative project to dramatically improve the Facility in Derwent Park. Although owned by a private company it is our responsibility to make recycling better.

  8. Construction industry: mmm construction wastes… we’ll need to defer to the experts on that one.

  9. Packaging: That Council actively tackles wastes that cannot be recycled, such as polystyrene, many batteries, juice boxes and metal chip packets. If the only option is to bury it… we don’t want it.

  10. Rivulet health: That Council undertakes regular testing of rivulet health (from just above the tip outflow pipe down to beyond the primary school) and provides simple online reports of leachate discharge, overflow events and licence (EPN) exceedances. What leachate substances are we dealing with? Herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals such as Hg, As, PB, Zn, etc.?

Have you got any more ideas? We'd love to hear them.