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Eco-grief: finding hope amongst the climate and waste crisis

Learning

July 16, 2021

Highlights

Eco-grief - the grief felt in relation to experienced or anticipated ecological losses, including the loss of species, ecosystems and meaningful landscapes due to acute or chronic environmental change

Tags: Editorial

Highlights

Cleanaway Waste Education Officer Andrew Snedden writes about what eco-grief means, why it’s important that we recognise it and how to find our way forward.

Andrew is an environmental educator. He works on educating communities on waste and environmental issues, and how to take action to make a sustainable future possible. He has a Master of Environmental Science from the University of Sydney. Please contact the author for a full list of references – Andrew Snedden Education Officer – Cleanaway’s NSW Centre for Sustainability

This article was first featured in Youthwise Magazine Autumn 2021 .

Introduction

The problems of the world can be overwhelming. The current climate and waste crises that we are facing are big, confronting, existential problems – they threaten humanity’s existence on this planet. Just trying to think about this stuff, let alone taking action, can have a big impact on our mental health. Lots of people are feeling sad, angry, and hopeless. This is a natural and legitimate response now known as Eco-Grief. By looking after ourselves, each other, and the planet we can find a path forward to a sustainable future. Looking after our planet can simply start with how we approach waste and recycling in our homes and schools. Read on to find out what you can do!

Background to the climate crisis
In case you need a little refresher, here is a short background in the climate and ecological crises. Reading this can be confronting, and it’s not meant to scare you. But it’s important to tell the truth.

Climate change is the current rapid warming of the earth’s climate. This is sometimes called global warming, and more recently – because of the urgency of the situation – the climate crisis (this is how I’ll refer to it throughout this article). Human activity is the major cause of the climate crisis, mostly through the emission of Green House Gases (GHG’s). Carbon dioxide and methane are two commonly known GHGs. There is a natural layer of GHG’s in the Earth’s atmosphere, which lets in sunlight and traps the heat that bounces off the earth’s surface. Human activity is releasing more GHG’s and thickening the layer in the atmosphere.

For example, the burning fossil fuels which releases carbon dioxide, deforestation and cutting down trees which normally help balance carbon dioxide levels, and dumping lots of waste in landfill which releases GHGs when it breaks down. This is changing the balance of GHG’s in the atmosphere and causing the rising global temperatures we see now. The evidence that human activity is the driving force behind the climate crisis is undeniable, and urgent action is needed to avoid a climate catastrophe.

What are the impacts of the climate crisis?
We are already seeing impacts of the climate crisis around the world. Scientists have been warning of more severe weather events, melting ice, droughts, floods, and bushfires for many years. In Australia, over the summer of 2019/20, we saw some of the worst bushfires we have ever seen. The fires burnt an estimated 18.6 million hectares, destroyed over 5000 buildings, displaced or killed over 3 billion animals, and killed 34 people. The climate crisis did not cause the bushfires, but it made them worse – the land was drier, and the temperature was hotter – the perfect conditions for massive bushfires. Scientists predict that events like this will be more severe and happen more frequently as the climate crisis worsens.

What about our waste?
In Australia, we throw away a lot of stuff. The National Waste Report 2020 estimated that Australia generated 74.1 million tonnes of waste in one year from July 2018 – June 2019. And the amount of waste Australian’s are making each year is increasing. This is a major problem.

When we throw something away, we waste all of the resources that were used in the making of that product. This includes the materials, energy, water, land, and labour. The Earth does not have an endless supply of resources. And we are already using more resources each year than the Earth can sustainably regenerate. The Global Footprint Network now estimates that we would need 1.6x Earths to sustain our current way of life. And that last year, humans used up the Earth’s resource budget for the entire year by August 22nd. We need to reduce the toll that humanity is taking on the Earth by reducing the amount we consume, and by re-using and recycling as much of our waste as possible.

The other major issue is waste sent to landfill. When we throw things away, they often end up in landfill. When the waste is breaking down in a landfill, the decomposing organic material generates methane. Methane is a GHG that contributes to climate change and is about 28x more potent than carbon dioxide. The Australia Bureau of Statistics has estimated that approximately 10% of Australia’s GHG emissions come from landfills.

What is eco-grief?
Hearing about and experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis can be really confronting. The effects on humans, animals, plants, ecosystems, and our planet earth are shocking and difficult to comprehend. This can impact our mental health in many ways as we grapple with coming to terms with the grief associated with climate-related losses to our valued species, ecosystems, and landscapes. The term ‘eco-grief’ (or ecological grief) has been coined to describe this response to ecological loss.

The term ecological grief was defined as “the grief felt in relation to experienced or anticipated ecological losses, including the loss of species, ecosystems and meaningful landscapes due to acute or chronic environmental change” (Cunsolo and Ellis,2018).

Grief is a normal human response to loss. When someone or something we love dies – a friend, a pet, a grandparent – we grieve. This is a natural and legitimate response to losing someone we love. While it can still be incredibly difficult, we understand that it is normal to grieve the loss of a person. We rarely extend the idea of this kind of grief to our feelings about our natural world. Eco-grief is a natural and legitimate response to the ecological loss you might be seeing on the news or on social media, and even experiencing first-hand. Everyone’s reaction will be unique to them.

You might feel sad, distressed, despairing, angry, fearful, helpless, hopeless, and stressed – or any combination of those feelings. It might make you feel anxious or depressed. It can make you want to switch-off, to stop the hurt and the grief. Feeling these emotions is not a bad thing – it means you care. It means you have empathy for the Earth and problems she faces. Without proper acknowledgement, and proper channels to express and work through these emotions, they can overpower us. We can get overwhelmed and feel stuck and helpless.

Remembering that you are not alone may be something that really helps. Lots of people, young and old, are muddling their way through anxiety, grief, and stuckness. Collective action, when we all join together and do something, can be a powerful way to not only feel less alone, but also to really make a difference. When we join together we have the power to help with the climate crisis and the feelings that come with it.

What to do with our eco-grief?
If you are feeling upset or overwhelmed by the climate crisis it’s important to acknowledge what you are feeling. Remember that these emotions are a perfectly normal response to what is happening in the world. It can also be helpful to talk to someone about it – a friend, a parent, a teacher. Ideally someone who will listen and try to understand. It’s important to not let these feelings bottle up inside. Just talking about it with someone will help lighten your mental load.

Getting help from a mental health professional is recommended – talk to your doctor about counselling or a psychologist. There is lots of support out there, especially for young people. And always look after yourself. Practice some self-care. This can look different for everyone, and what works for your friends might not work for you. Below are some basic self-care ideas, but do what is right for you:

Take a break – while you might feel a sense of urgency to do something, we can’t solve everything right now. Pause, re-set, and start over.
Breathe – take 3 deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. This will flood your brain with oxygen and help calm your mind.
Exercise – whatever works for you: walking, running, tennis, football, yoga.
Eat well – eat something healthy and nourishing. Lots of vegetables!
Sleep – our bodies and minds don’t function very well if we don’t get enough sleep. Take a nap if you need to. And try to get as much sleep as is good for you.

What can we do about the climate crisis?
Any small action that we take counts. There are lots of different actions that we can all take. Not all of them will suit everyone. However, any positive action we take is doing a little bit of good. We can’t solve the climate crisis on our own, we can only do it together. Together with other individuals, businesses, corporations, NGO’s, and governments. Together we can change the world.

Here’s a few ideas to get started:

Join the movement! There are lots of people all over Australia that are taking action on climate change. You could join your school environment club, or a School Strike 4 Climate. Do some research into what groups are active in your local area, and sign up!
Walk or ride to school (reduce the number of car trips you take).
Switch to renewable energy (use clean and green energy at home and at school).
Eat more vegetables in your diet (eating more vegetables is healthier, and better for the planet!).
Buy less plastic (plastic is made from fossil fuels).
Buy less stuff (we consume a lot of stuff, and lots of it ends up getting wasted).
Recycle (steel, aluminium, glass, hard plastic, paper/cardboard).
Start composting or worm-farming (food scraps).
Choose a bank that invests in renewable energy (make your money do good for the planet).
Vote (when you’re 18).
Collective action – the climate crisis is not any one person’s problem to solve by themselves. We cannot do it alone. The most powerful thing you can is add your voice and your actions to the movement. Together we can all put pressure on the people with power – governments, corporations, businesses – to make meaningful and sustainable change.

What can we do about the waste problem?
The answer is simple – we need to stop sending so much waste to landfill and reduce, reuse and recycle our rubbish. In fact, there is no such thing was waste – all waste is a resource! Everything that we throw away as rubbish actually has the potentially to be used again. We can look to the waste hierarchy to understand how we can think about our waste:

1. AVOID – the best thing we can do is to avoid making waste in the first place. For example, if you make good choices when you shop for food – such as buying loose bananas instead of packaged bananas – you can avoid creating any plastic packaging waste! We can also do things like storing our food in air-tight containers so it doesn’t go off.

2. REDUCE – reducing the amount of waste that we make is pretty easy. For example, if we purchase the right amount of food and serve the right amount on our plates, we can drastically reduce the amount of food waste we make.

3. REUSE – there are lots of options for reusing. For example you can use a reusable water bottle or a coffee cup, take reusable shopping bags to the shopping centre.

4. RECYCLE – you can recycle lots of the materials that are used in our products. The Top 5 materials that you can recycle are steel, aluminium, glass, hard plastic, and paper/ cardboard. If we all use our yellow-lidded recycling bin correctly we can save a lot of materials from going to landfill. Confused about recycling? Check out www.cleanaway.com/greenius to learn how to become a recycling eco-champ, or search for “Greenius” online.

Recycling can also include recycling your food scraps – you can do this with a compost bin, worm farm, bokashi bin. Some local councils have specialised bins for food scraps.

5. DISPOSE – the last option is to dispose of something in the red rubbish bin. Sometimes we have waste that needs to go in the red rubbish bin. This is always a good opportunity to assess ways to try and avoid this waste in the future. Remember – all waste is a resource! There’s no such thing as waste!

Other waste tips:

Always check with your local council as to what can go in your recycling bins. Some councils have different systems.
Remember to only put clean and dry items in your recycling bin – there should be no food scraps or liquids left in your recyclables. They should also be loose – NOT in a plastic bag.
Tricky to dispose of items, such as batteries and lightbulbs, can often be recycled at your local Community Recycling Centre.
Recycle your soft plastics, such as plastic bags and chip packets, by taking them back to the supermarkets (Coles and Woolworths) and putting them in the Redcycle bin.
Check for the Australasian Recycling Label to see if you can recycle your items.

Greenius – a new way to learn about your bins. Greenius is a new e-learning platform for people to learn about recycling, contamination, and how to make the most of their waste services. It includes games, quizzes, and fun learning modules. Search “Greenius” online, or visit www.cleanaway.com.au/greenius

The good news about waste
While Australia is still generating a lot of waste, and lots of it is ending up in landfill, there is still some good news! The waste industry employs lots of people whose job it is to try and find solutions for these problems. Some of these solutions include:

Organics recycling – some local councils in Australia have started collecting and recycling organic food waste. Some have started Food Organics collections, others have FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) collections. This means that they can recycle the food and organic waste and turn it into compost.

Compost is used in gardens and farms to regenerate the soil – adding precious nutrients, increasing the water holding capacity, adding healthy bacteria and microbes, and locking carbon in the soil. Recycling organics can happen in several ways. Two common ones are:

Composting – a process of letting organic material break down over a number of weeks/ months in the ideal conditions for it to turn into healthy compost.

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) – organic waste is added to a large tank with lots of water. The organic material is turned into a sludge and can be dried and used as fertilizer, while any gas that is produced can be captured and used for energy. This process is similar to what happens in a human stomach.

Landfill Gas Capture – some landfills in Australia are now capturing the GHG’s (like methane) that are emitted from them. Instead of releasing the gas into the atmosphere, the gas is captured in pipes and can be used to make energy or power garbage trucks.

Bioplastics – single-use plastics are a huge problem. Normal plastics take hundreds or thousands of years to breakdown. Every piece of plastic that has ever been created is still present somewhere on Earth, and it’s estimated that by 2050 the amount of plastic in the ocean will weigh more than all of the fish! Bioplastics are a new type of plastic that have been created – some are made from cornstarch, others from a material called PLA. These bioplastics can be broken down in an industrial composting system or an anaerobic digestor.

Circular economy – is a new concept that describes a systemic, holistic approach to an economic system that is aimed at eliminating waste and keeping materials in continual use. The whole economy – from big and small business, designers and manufacturers, producers and consumers – can work together to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems.

There is always hope!
We are facing some big problems. The climate and waste crises are not going to solve themselves, and they can make us feel overwhelmed and hopeless. Acknowledging these feelings of eco-grief is not submitting to despair, it’s not giving up. We need to look after ourselves, and each other. There is a path forward – it includes working together and doing whatever we can to help.

On finding hope amongst the chaos, Gail Bradbrook, an environmental activist, said “I can’t think of anything else I would rather do with my life. It is such an honour to try. What else can we all do?”

Circular economy: Rethink, redesign, reduce, reuse, recycle

Learning

June 23, 2021

Highlights

In the natural world, nothing is wasted. Everything becomes the construction material for another life, and so can all the products that we consume.

Tags: Circular economy

Highlights

In the natural world, nothing is wasted. Everything becomes the construction material for another life, and so can all the products that we consume.

Authors: Charlotte Landini and Andrew Snedden, Cleanaway’s NSW Centre for Sustainability

(For a full list of references please contact the authors)

More than 100 billion tonnes of materials and resources entered the global economy in 2017 – used to produce food, make clothes and mobile phones, generate electricity, and build homes (Circular Economy, 2020). This is expected to double by 2060 (OECD, 2019). About one-third of this material was treated as waste, mostly going to landfill. Only 8.6% was recycled.

This is not sustainable. The Earth does not have an endless supply of resources. Sustainability research organisation, Global Footprint Network, estimates that we are already using more resources than the Earth can sustainably replace and we would need 1.6x Earths to sustain our current way of life. One path to make a sustainable future possible is with a circular economy.

What is a circular economy?

Our current way of thinking uses a linear economy model: make – take – use – dispose. Use a mobile phone as an example. Every couple of years we upgrade our phone and put the old one in the bottom drawer – the resources are going to waste. But what if this phone could be recycled and the resources used again? An example of this is through MobileMuster’s accredited Product Stewardship Scheme. MobileMuster dismantles the phones and recovers all of the resources – keeping them in use for longer.

A circular economy is an economic system that aims to reduce waste and encourages the continual reuse and recycling of resources. It would ensure that every product, from mobile phones to construction materials to plastic bottles, is designed to become an input for other processes at the end of its life.

All material would be intended for use in a new product and made with longevity and quality in mind. Nature provides the perfect blueprint to achieve a circular economy. In the natural world, nothing is wasted. Everything becomes the construction material for another life, and so can all the products that we consume.

The key principles of a circular economy include:

Designing out waste and pollution
Reusing, repairing and recycling materials to keep them in use
Regenerating natural systems

Benefits of a circular economy

Reduce pressure on the environment: By designing out waste and ensuring all components in a consumable product can be easily recycled we reduce our reliance on virgin natural resources. This reduces our impact on the environment from the extraction of natural resources and allows our ecosystems to recover.

Reduce litter as pollution: When products come to the end of their life, instead of thinking of them as rubbish or waste, we can begin to think of them as a resource for another product. By viewing waste as a resource, the chance of it being discarded as litter and becoming pollution is reduced. Participating in Clean Up Australia Day or organising a Clean Up any day of the year, is a great way to Step Up to help minimise the impact that litter as pollution has on the environment.

Economic growth and job creation: A circular economy can lead to increased local job creation through new recycling and repairing ventures. This creates both entry-level and semi-skilled jobs in the community (World Economic Forum, 2014), as well as highly skilled and technical roles in technology and infrastructure development. Recent reports by global accounting firms estimate that a circular economy in Australia could be worth $2 trillion over the next 20 years (PwC, 2021) while contributing an additional $23 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2025 (KPMG, 2020).

Who is responsible for a circular economy?

Everyone! We all can, and need, to contribute to a circular economy. Individuals can be consuming less, avoiding waste where possible, reusing, repairing, and recycling correctly. Read more below about exactly what we can do every day to encourage a circular economy in Australia.

Product designers and manufacturers can increase the potential for recycling of new products by choosing renewable and recyclable production materials, designing products to be easily repaired or dismantled for recycling and employing product stewardship models to ensure responsible recycling of their products occur.

They can also choose to incorporate recycled content into their products to create more markets for recycled material.

Retailers can ensure they are selling sustainable products as described above and sourcing products with reduced or sustainable packaging and set an example by reducing and recycling in-store waste.

The waste industry can continue to invest in education, technology and infrastructure to increase the amount of material that is recycled and diverted from landfill. And governments (local, state, and federal) can provide direction to the entire system through policy, legislation and funding to support everyone as we transition to a circular economy.

How can YOU contribute to a circular economy?

AVOID and REDUCE the amount of waste you make. The easiest way to do this is by buying less things. You can also make sustainable choices to avoid creating waste (like storing food properly or using reusable shopping bags) or reduce the amount of unrecyclable packaging you buy.

REUSE and REPAIR the things that you own. Resources online and ‘Reuse and Repair’ cafes can help individuals to extend the life of products with upcycling ideas and to help repair items.

RECYCLE plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles and jars, steel and aluminum cans, paper, and cardboard (they must all be clean, empty, and dry) in your kerbside recycling bin. Check for the Australasian Recycling Label on your packaging every time you are at the bin .

For other items:

Take the NSW Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme as an example. Bottles and cans are now worth 10c, and instead of being littered, are being recycled through the scheme reducing drink container litter in NSW by 40% (NSW EPA, 2021)
Recycle soft plastics (plastic bags, chip bags, cling wrap) through specialised recycling programs at supermarkets
Tricky items (such as e-waste, batteries, mobile phones, lightbulbs) can often be recycled at your local community recycling centre. Check with your local council
Clothes and textiles can be downcycled at home as cleaning rags, upcycled to make something new or donated.

COMPOST your food scraps. On average, 40% of the general waste bin is filled with food scraps every week. This goes to landfill where it generates methane, a greenhouse gas that has a negative impact on the environment. You can recycle your food scraps with a home compost bin, a worm farm, a bokashi bin, or your council’s Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) service if you have one.

BUY RECYCLED CONTENT. By purchasing products made from recycled material, you are helping to create a market for recycled materials. Check the packaging for the percentage of recycled material it contains.

Take your recycling to the next level

Many Australians are confused as to what goes into the recycling bin, with 32% of us finding it difficult to get clear instructions. Among parents trying to teach their children about recycling and sustainability, 25% don’t find it easy, and 17% say they do not have easily accessible tools to teach their kids. With children’s views on recycling and sustainability largely mirroring those of their parents, accurate information is critical not only for this generation, but also for the next.

To bridge this gap, Cleanaway created Greenius, a free e-learning platform dedicated to helping Australian households recycle better. Greenius brings learning to life through a variety of interactive and engaging formats such as games, videos and quizzes, with customised instructions relating to your state.

Greenius is also a great resource for educators looking to equip students with waste and recycling knowledge in the classroom.

Visit Greenius.com.au to learn now and begin your journey towards a circular economy.

Cleanaway helps students recycle better at Green Week Market Day

Learning - Our Services

May 19, 2021

Highlights

Our sorting activity was really well received by both students and staff. Items were sorted with tongs which were then sanitised after every use.

Tags: Education

Highlights

Our sorting activity was really well received by both students and staff. Items were sorted with tongs which were then sanitised after every use.

Which bin does that container belong to? Our NSW team were on hand with hands on answers through a fun-filled recycling sorting activity at the TAFE NSW Ultimo UTS Green Activate UTS Green Week Market Day.

Cleanaway Resource Recovery Officers Priya Murthy and Evelyn Hwang, and TAFE NSW Environmental and Sustainability Specialist Terese Decena engaged more than 150 students at the COVID-safe event, as they travelled in controlled numbers through Jones St Mall.

“Our sorting activity was really well received by both students and staff. Items were sorted with tongs which were then sanitised after every use. We also provided hand sanitisers for everyone to use. To cap off the learning activity, participants received a reusable bamboo cutlery set.”

Pictured: Enthusiastic students taking part in the recycling sorting activity

Pictured: Cleanaway Resource Recovery Officers Priya Murthy and Evelyn Hwang

Contact us to learn more about how we’re making a sustainable future possible for communities and business across Australia.

Effective waste education for schools: a NSW case study

Learning - Our Services

April 21, 2021

Highlights

The kNOw Waste Schools Education Program is extremely popular amongst teachers and well-received by children and local councils.

Tags: Education

Highlights

The kNOw Waste Schools Education Program is extremely popular amongst teachers and well-received by children and local councils.

Cleanaway’s kNOw Waste™ Schools and Community Education Program is celebrating its 17th anniversary this year, having delivered over 5,000 workshops to more than 200,000 students since starting our first contract with the City of Canada Bay in 2004.

The award-winning program delivers environmental and sustainability education across greater Sydney and regional New South Wales and is aimed at promoting effective waste management and recycling best practices to students of all ages.

NSW Sustainability Manager, Rebecca Evered said, “The kNOw Waste Schools Education Program is just one of many educational endeavours delivered by the team to its municipal and commercial customers. It’s extremely popular amongst teachers and well-received by children and local councils. In Term 1 of this year alone, we delivered more than 110 workshops to schools and centres, educating 2,453 students.”

Pictured: Education Officer Andrew Snedden at a preschool education session

Education Officer Andrew Snedden, one of the many passionate program facilitators on the team said, “There’s always something exciting happening over here with the kNOw Waste Program. This year, we started education programs with Randwick City and Georges River councils in the Sydney metro area – bringing our total council partners up to 10.”

“We also rolled out a new ‘Train-the-Trainer’ Program in the City of Ryde to support local preschool educators with the knowledge and confidence required to deliver waste education lessons to their students.”

Cleanaway created a new school education module for Randwick schools designed to educate students on their new FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) service and the benefits of composting FOGO material instead of sending it to landfill. This coincides with the new FOGO service contract that Cleanaway commenced with council on 1st March 2021.

The exciting new train-the-trainer program for preschools in the City of Ryde includes workshops that demonstrate how to effectively convey messages about the three-bin system, composting, and worm farming to young children aged three to five, with resources such as lesson plans, activity worksheets/handouts, teaching resources, and ideas for additional activities and follow-up lessons.

The audit component of the program will review current waste avoidance, reuse and recycling practices with a view to improving recycling outcomes in the schools. Audit techniques such as visual bin inspections and investigating existing recycling infrastructure will inform Cleanaway’s recommendations on how to increase landfill diversion and engage staff and children in resource recovery actions.

Pictured: Education Officer Charlotte Landini

The team are also actively engaging with government agencies on how to educate primary school students on the issue of food waste.

To extend the reach of the program, we also started an online webinar program to primary schools. The live 30-minute session includes interactive activities, videos, polls, Q&As and quizzes. Students will learn more about their council waste services and the different ways waste is managed sustainably. Every session is tailored to ensure it is curriculum aligned to Australian and state-specific syllabi and local council waste guidelines.

Drop us an email to register your interest for a webinar at education.nsw@cleanaway.com.au and find out more about our school’s programs here.

Looking for a free online resource that takes the confusion out of recycling? Here’s Greenius – a new e-learning platform to help kids (and adults) get recycling sorted!

Top tips to reduce food waste during Ramadan

Communities - Learning

Highlights

Consider doing your weekly shop after breaking your fast or early in the day shortly after your fast begins so you're less likely to impulse buy

Tags: Food waste

Highlights

Consider doing your weekly shop after breaking your fast or early in the day shortly after your fast begins so you're less likely to impulse buy

Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, where Muslims observe a strict fast from sunrise to sundown. While it is a time of moderation and reflection, fasting can unintentionally lead to food waste when over catering for family events and restaurants.

For councils, food waste is a particularly weighty subject. Food waste tends to be especially heavy because of the water content and overfilled general waste bins can break when being lifted. Not only is a broken bin inconvenient, it can lead to unpleasant food, liquids and rubbish spilled all over the street.

Coupled with the fact that organic material is highly recyclable, it makes good environmental and economic sense to recycle unavoidable food waste or better yet, avoid wastage in the first place.

Here are our top tips to prevent and minimise food waste during Ramadan:

Prepare a meal plan
A meal plan can help you make full use of the ingredients you already have at home and set the stage for overall healthier break fast meals. It can also cut down on the impulse to overspend and buy more than what you need, indirectly reducing the waste from excess packaging.

Bonus tip: Include leftovers from your dinners the night before in your meal plan so you don’t need to rush to prepare the morning meal.

No shopping on an empty stomach
Research has shown that shopping when hungry can lead to impulse purchases. Instead, consider doing your weekly shop after breaking your fast or early in the day shortly after your fast begins so you’re less likely to impulse buy (and overspend!).

Bonus tip: Choose foods with longer shelf life whenever possible to reduce the risk of food going bad before you’ve had a chance to cook.

Share or donate leftover food
If you have overcooked or found yourself with a lot of leftover food, consider sharing them with friends and neighbours. You can also check with your local mosque to see if they will accept extra food for the sunset break fast session.

Bonus tip: Contact food rescue charities and local shelters to see if you can donate your excess meals to those in need or get creative with leftover food and use them in your next meal.

Compost leftover food
If you do not have access to food organics bin in your area, consider turning your food waste into compost, especially if you have a garden. Check out our guide to creating compost at home.

Operating a restaurant, canteen or grocery?
During Ramadan, restaurants, canteens and hotels might offer break fast packages with multiple-course meals. This format tends to lead to people ordering too much food that they cannot finish. Anticipating demand can also be a tricky affair, with food and beverage operators often resorting to ‘playing it by ear’ when it comes to menu prep.

If waste is unavoidable, businesses can contact us for a commercial recycling service where organic material is turned into high quality compost and soil conditioners or electricity to power homes. It may even reduce the cost of your general waste service! Speak to our experts by letting us know your details here (for commercial/business customers only).

Cleanaway would like to wish all our Muslim friends a blessed Ramadan.

Are you ready to become a Recycling ‘Greenius’?

Communities - Learning

April 19, 2021

Highlights

Our study shows that one in four parents find it difficult to teach their kids about recycling and sustainability. We designed Greenius with input from our waste education teams across Australia who have first-hand knowledge of working with kids of all ages.

Tags: Greenius

Highlights

Recycling is important, but only one in four Australians are getting it right. It’s time to get recycling sorted with Greenius, a new e-learning platform for kids and adults that makes recycling easier.

Greenius helps householders decide what should go into their general waste and commingled recycling bins by addressing common recycling questions such as whether recycling should be bagged or unbagged, through interactive content, flashcards, quizzes and videos.

Up to 35% of recycling is currently being lost to landfill due to contamination but if every person focused on removing soft plastic, food, liquid and textiles from their recycling, we would resolve more than 50% of all recycling contamination.

Greenius aims to motivate people to facilitate and accelerate the transition to a circular economy, demonstrating how the small actions and changes we make every day can have lasting impacts for years to come.

To address differing bin rules across locations, Greenius’ waste and recycling information is tailored to your local area. Households can access Greenius on either mobile or desktop PC with no logins required – just select state to get started.

Greenius users who have completed the various modules can also download a certificate certifying their accomplishments. These can be shared on social media to help spread the word on sustainability to the whole community.

Ready to become a recycling genius? Head over to greenius.com.au to get started.

Study shows we think we’re wheelie good recyclers, but most of us are rubbish

Communities - Learning

Highlights

We’re really encouraged by the support that recycling has in the community, and the public’s intention to do the right thing, but unfortunately, we’re losing a lot of valuable resource to landfill because people are unclear about what can go in the recycling bin. Greenius is a free, easy-to-use online learning platform designed to simplify recycling for all households.

Tags: Greenius

Highlights

Cleanaway launches online education resource – Greenius – to improve Australia’s recycling accuracy.
Research into Australians’ recycling behaviours and attitudes shows only 25 per cent of us are separating waste correctly.
Up to 35% of recycling needlessly going to landfill due to simple sorting errors.

Australians are keen on a more sustainable future, but they remain confused about fundamental recycling practices. These are the main findings of Cleanaway’s Recycling Behaviours Report launched today to support its new Greenius online education platform to help consumers get recycling right.

The Report found 89 per cent of us think recycling is important and 74 per cent say we’re good at it. However, with only 25 per cent of us separating waste correctly at every opportunity and almost 50 per cent of us still putting soft plastics in our kerbside recycling bins, further education is clearly needed.

Cleanaway NSW Sustainability Manager, Rebecca Evered, said these findings reflect the consumer behaviour in municipal waste collection services, making the need for online education tools like Greenius more important than ever.

“We’re really encouraged by the support that recycling has in the community, and the public’s intention to do the right thing, but unfortunately, we’re losing a lot of valuable resource to landfill because people are unclear about what can go in the recycling bin. Greenius is a free, easy-to-use online learning platform designed to simplify recycling for all households. We know that most Aussies (57 per cent) rely on the internet for recycling advice, but they’re often met with conflicting, outdated information. Greenius is designed to give consumers simple and consistent tips to get it right, every time,” Rebecca said.

Greenius Ambassador and Clean Up Australia Chairman, Pip Kiernan, said the research proved the importance of Greenius as a tool to help educate all Australians to improve recycling recovery rates.

“It’s the small changes in our habits that will make all the difference. Up to 35 per cent of recycling is still being lost to landfill due to contamination. We know there is a lot of “wish-cycling” going on, with people hoping that what they put in the bin can be recycled at the other end, but actually that’s part of the problem. Good recycling can be ruined when people put the wrong thing in. If every person focused on removing soft plastic, food, liquid and textiles from their recycling we’d resolve more than 50 per cent of all current recycling contamination.” Pip said.

“With the extension of our partnership with Cleanaway, we can continue to help Australians learn about sustainability and recycling through hands-on experiences so they can be part of the solution to treat waste as a resource, not something that ends up in landfill.”

The e-learning platform developed by Cleanaway takes users on a recycling journey through gamification, videos, animations and quizzes, and is easily accessed via mobile device or desktop.

Through education and easy-to-implement tips, Greenius aims to motivate people to facilitate and accelerate the transition to a circular economy, demonstrating how the small actions and changes we make every day can have lasting impacts for years to come.

Rebecca says while the education tool is ideal for students and families, it’s designed to meet the needs of all Australians.

“Our research has uncovered one in four parents don’t find it easy to teach their kids about recycling and nearly one third of Australians still find recycling confusing. Different regulations between councils and uncertainty around what can and can’t be recycled can be really tricky to navigate,” Rebecca said.

“On the bright side, we think users will be really surprised by how easy some of the universal recycling rules are to apply – and Greenius is here to empower people to make the right decisions when it comes to disposing of everyday household waste.”

“The Recycling Behaviours Report found that only 15 per cent of Australians are familiar with the concept of a ‘circular economy’ – an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and keeping resources in continual use.

“Individuals, communities, government and businesses alike are all contributors to building a circular economy in Australia. And while it may sound complicated, it’s just about being more mindful of how we choose and dispose of the materials we use.”

Cleanaway has undertaken a range of best practice sustainable waste management activities to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. The Greenius platform is a more recent initiative supported by the CEFC that extends its commitment to educational activities designed to improve recycling behaviour.

CEFC CEO Ian Learmonth said, “The CEFC is excited to work with Cleanaway to develop this innovative national education platform. By explaining how recycling works and pointing out some of the common mistakes we make when sorting our rubbish, Greenius can help us improve our emissions reduction efforts.”

“Cleanaway’s commitment to reducing the amount of waste going to landfill demonstrates best practice in the efficient use of resources. By applying the principles of the waste hierarchy and prioritising recycling over disposal or landfill, everyone can contribute positively to creating a circular economy and reducing landfill emissions.”

The Greenius education platform is available to the public online from 19 April 2021 and can be accessed via https://www.cleanaway.com.au/greenius. A full copy of the report can be downloaded here.

The Recycling Behaviours Report and Greenius household education platform were made possible thanks to Cleanaway’s partnership with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

Ends

Cleanaway’s Recycling Behaviours Report key findings:

General
• 89% of Australians consider recycling to be important
• 74% say they’re good at recycling
• Only 25% of Aussies always separate their waste into the appropriate bins at home, at work, and when out in public
• 47% incorrectly believe soft plastics can be put in the kerbside recycling bins
• 21% don’t realise you need to remove lids from plastic bottles before recycling
• 53% of Aussies wrongly think a pizza box with greasy stains can be recycled or composted
• 17% wrongly think recycling can be sealed in a plastic bag in the kerbside bin
• Only 15% of Aussies are familiar with the concept of the circular economy

Demographic breakdown
• 29% of adults still find recycling confusing
• Self-rated recycling abilities increase with age:
• 65% of 18-34-year-olds say they’re good or very good recyclers
• 74% of 35-54 year-olds say they’re good or very good recyclers
• 82% of 55+ year-olds say they’re good or very good recyclers

Parents and Children
• 86% of children learn about recycling at school
• 84% of kids learn about recycling from their parents
• 29% of kids learn about recycling online
• 77% of children consider recycling very important
• 47% of kids think children are better at recycling than adults
• 25% of parents say it’s not easy to teach their kids about recycling

Research methodology
• An online survey was conducted with 1,000 Australians, including a sub-audience of 293 parents of children aged 8-18. These parents were asked to allow their children to complete a shorter survey once the parents had completed their own.
• Surveys were completed between Friday, 27 November 2020 and Monday, 7 December 2020.
• The data was weighted to be representative of the Australian population with respect to gender and age.

About Clean Up Australia
Founded by Ian Kiernan, AO, Clean Up Australia is one of the country’s most recognised and trusted environmental organisations, inspiring and empowering communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment.

Over the past three decades, Clean Up Australia has evolved into an organisation that works with community, government and businesses to provide practical solutions to help Australians all live more sustainably every day of the year. Today the organisation’s focus is as much on preventing rubbish entering our environment as it is removing what has already accumulated.

For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Alycia Jack
Senior Account Manager – Alt/Shift
alycia@altshift.com.au
0412 025 772

Amy Westacott
Account Manager – Alt/Shift
amy@altshift.com.au
0439 353 410

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A Berri good waste and recycling education tour

Communities - Learning

April 7, 2021

Highlights

“The excursion truly brought the learning to life for our students and helped them make connections between the curriculum and their lives outside the classroom. Students and teachers all walked away with a better understanding of waste management and recycling processes.”

Tags: Schools

Highlights

We recently welcomed two classes from Berri Primary School to Cleanaway’s Monash Transfer Station in Riverland, SA for a curriculum-aligned waste and recycling education tour. Education Officer Georgette Hawes and Station Manager Matthew Coombes coordinated the excursion to give students a behind-the-scenes look at what happens to waste once it’s collected from homes and schools.

Teacher Zack Plaquet said that the visit brought the classroom curriculum to life with the hands-on experience, and even the teachers learned a thing or two about recycling processes!

“Year 2/3 classes from Berri Primary School spent the term learning about waste management and recycling processes, which acted as a theme in the delivery of the Chemical Sciences curriculum. To wrap up our term’s learning, the team from Cleanaway was kind enough to welcome these classes to the local waste transfer station.”

“Education Officer Georgette Hawes and Station Manager Matthew Coombes from Cleanaway were able to provide information, experiences and answers to the many questions that were suitably targeted to the ages and understandings of the students.”

Zack added that the students were especially excited to realise that even they can help make the world a better place – one recyclable item at a time.

“Georgette made the planning process simple and smooth and I hope to revisit the site again with future classes. Thank you to Cleanaway for providing Berri Primary School students with valuable learning experiences that I’m sure they will never forget.” said Zack.

Soft plastics in the recycling bin – what’s the problem?

Communities - Learning

January 29, 2021

Highlights

"Many people would like to recycle properly but just what and how to recycle is often changing and somewhat of a mystery". Facebook user comment

Tags: Recycling

Highlights

"Many people would like to recycle properly but just what and how to recycle is often changing and somewhat of a mystery". Facebook user comment

Contamination in recycling happens when the wrong items get put in the wrong bin, such as when soft plastics or general waste such as nappies are disposed of in the commingled recycling bin. This results in low quality materials that cannot be recycled and in a worst-case scenario, entire loads of otherwise good recycling can go to waste.

Our recent post on the extent of contaminated recycling received by our Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) sparked insightful conversations about how everyday Aussies look at recycling and what they think should be done to do better.

While many of our followers commented that they were already using soft plastic recycling drop off services at supermarkets, others had doubts as to whether the material was being recycled. The misconception that recycling gets landfilled was addressed with comments citing the various applications for recycled soft plastic such as in construction, as road base and cement.

Barriers to better recycling – apathy, confusion and access

For some, access to a recycling drop off point was an issue – with services either unavailable or located too far away from home. It’s a valid point and food for thought for suppliers, brand owners, policy makers and retailers looking to encourage soft plastic collections, especially in remote communities.

Not everyone was convinced with the current solutions for recycling soft plastic with many people calling into question the willingness of Australians to take responsibility for their waste – as evidenced by some of the comments in the post!

But apathy wasn’t the only issue, well-meaning but confused recyclers were still hesitating at the bin, and called for harmonised recycling rules and clearer information about the recyclability of everyday items.

What’s the solution?

Source separated recycling systems

Source separation involves separating waste into common material streams or categories for separate collection. The idea is that a standalone bin for each material (food, dry commingled recycling, general waste) reduces contamination and encourages a clean, high quality input of materials to recyclers.

This calls for national bin standards that put the responsibility on generators of waste to separate materials at the point of disposal. It’s also critical to empower communities with resources to help them understand exactly what goes in each bin such as our Recycling Hub.

Working with the waste hierarchy to reduce, reuse and recycle

It was encouraging to see so many people engaged with the waste minimisation message with some calling for complete bans on throwaway plastic items where it hasn’t been already implemented, and increased use of compostable material in packaging.

Greater ownership by generators of waste

Product stewardship programs put the responsibility for minimising a product’s environmental impact throughout all stages of the products’ life cycle, including end of life management, on whoever designs, manufactures, sells, or uses it. This echoes our views on what’s required to fix Australia’s recycling system and become a world leader in creating a circular economy.

Innovative technologies to recover energy from waste

Energy-from-waste came up in conversations, pointing to successful projects in Europe that turn red bin waste that cannot be otherwise recovered into electricity to power homes and businesses.
Interested to know more about energy-from-waste technology in Australia?

Energy-from-waste: a piece of the waste management puzzle
Learn about energy-from-waste technology, why it’s necessary and how it can be done safely and sustainably

Energy-from-waste: Concerns and facts
Learn about the common misconceptions surrounding energy-from-waste technology including concerns around safety, regulations, emissions and recycling.

The bottom line
Communities should focus on getting recycling right through basic recycling hygiene such as knowing which materials belong in the commingled bin. Governments should continue to provide the framework for effective recycling systems through funding and policy support. Industry needs to provide infrastructure and services that enable resource recovery every step of the way.

What would you do to encourage better recycling? Join the conversation on our Facebook post here.

Why is container return scheme design so important?

Industry Updates - Learning - Our Services

December 16, 2020

Highlights

Access to drop off points is crucial to embedding scheme use among communities. Drop offs need to be convenient – travelling too far or waiting too long will turn people off and discourage use.

Tags: Container deposit scheme

Highlights

Access to drop off points is crucial to embedding scheme use among communities. Drop offs need to be convenient – travelling too far or waiting too long will turn people off and discourage use.

With Victoria currently in the process of structuring its container return scheme ahead of a 2023 rollout, and Tasmania also working to reinstate their scheme, we take a look at why scheme design is critical to success.

It’s useful to look at good scheme design through the lens of the scheme’s objectives. Does it contribute to the environment, economy and society? Is it tailored to the unique needs of the population? Is it adaptable and cost-effective?

Community access and ease-of-use

At its core, a container return scheme is a product stewardship initiative, where responsibility for beverage containers is shared between brand owners, manufacturers, retailers, recyclers, government and consumers. A strong container return scheme complements kerbside collections which collect waste generated at home by focusing on the waste we make when we’re out and about. This is reflected in the types of containers a return scheme typically accepts – soft drink cans, beer bottles and juice boxes but not milk cartons and wine bottles.

By providing a refund for every container returned, we are incentivised to collect not only our own but other containers we find, therefore diverting rubbish away from our streets, parks and waterways. Thus, a major benefit from a successful CDS is the significant reduction in litter.

Access to drop off points is crucial to embedding scheme use among communities. Drop offs need to be convenient – travelling too far or waiting too long will turn people off and discourage use.

Densely populated areas will need more return points especially at high foot traffic areas. The opposite is true for remote regional areas which require drop off points at strategic locations that are easy to access but not so many that operational costs become untenable.

The bottom line is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach when deciding where and how many drop off points to provide. Geography, population size, transportation and access are factors that have to be carefully considered when designing the network.

In NSW, a combination of reverse vending machines (RVMs), automated depots and local businesses operating as over-the-counter collection points provide ample coverage to both high traffic and rural areas. To minimise downtime, reverse vending machines are cleared regularly, and bin levels are tracked in real time through a sophisticated live data network. Automated depots are bulk container processing locations where staff at the depot use counting machines to process the large amounts of containers quickly and efficiently to minimise wait time.

Coordinated, data-driven collections and processing

The benefits of a container return scheme extend beyond diverting litter from the environment. A well-designed scheme aims for 100% of materials to be recycled into new containers again.

To make this possible, a well-coordinated and data-informed network is needed to collect, transport and process containers for recycling as well as a ready end market for the recyclable commodities.

Regular and coordinated collections are necessary to ensure minimal downtime at drop off points. Full receptacles can send notifications and collections can be tracked using in-cabin software so that the network operators can monitor truck movements, optimise route density and correct issues as they arise.

In Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales Cleanaway’s fleet collects containers from drop off points all over the states. The collected containers are transported to sorting facilities such as Cleanaway’s Container Sorting Facility at Eastern Creek in New South Wales and Morning side in QLD.

Speed is of essence here – in Queensland for example, 3.7 million containers are taken every day to a Containers for Change recycling centre. That’s a lot of containers to process in a day! State-of-art optical sorting technology can separate the various material streams with speed and ease, ready to be sent to recyclers for further processing.

Jobs creation and economic growth

Recycling creates jobs which in turn stimulates spending and the local economy. According to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, more than nine jobs are created for every 10,000 tonnes of waste recycled.

Sorting and processing facilities typically operate seven days a week to manage volumes of recyclable material. Our container sorting facility in NSW alone employs up to 39 staff and 200 drivers to collect and process containers around the state. In WA, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation reported more than 600 jobs created from its container return scheme.

In Albury/Wodonga, Cleanaway, Pact and Asahi have announced a $48 million PET plastic recycling plant that will recycle the equivalent of around 1 billion 600ml PET plastic bottles each year and create over 300 direct and indirect jobs, with tradespeople, engineers and technicians among the roles that need to be filled.

Cleanaway will provide the plastic to be recycled through its collection and sorting network which includes bottles collected from the NSW container return scheme, Pact will provide packaging expertise and Asahi will buy the recycled plastic from the facility.

This joint venture is a perfect example of a circular economy in action, where recycled material is reused in the manufacturing process, reducing the need for virgin raw material while boosting the local economy with more jobs and greater opportunities.

Social benefits to the community

Container return schemes deliver significant social benefits to the community with many individuals and groups using the refunds for fundraising or to supplement their income.
Having an established network of donation partners and multiple options for refund (Paypal, vouchers, cash) are essential to facilitate this process.

Once in place, it’s important that people know about the options available to them – this is where promotions on social media, through community groups and other media comes in. All stakeholders should play a part in the scheme’s promotion, which means regular and coordinated meetings to align on communication strategies.

Good governance and accountability

It might seem self-evident but it’s worth emphasising that a container return scheme aims to collect as many containers as possible so that fewer items are littered or landfilled and more are recycled into new products. This is where the structure of governance, administration and operations of the scheme should be considered in their ability to achieve the container return scheme’s objectives.

South Australia works on a “super collector” model where three approved collectors operate in the state. In the Northern Territory, four organisations in the beverage or recycling industry are approved to run the Cash for Containers scheme.

In other states, the government splits scheme responsibilities between a coordinator and operator. This shared responsibility model between scheme participants across the supply chain including brand owners, manufacturers, retailers, recyclers, government and consumers ensures that each stakeholder is incentivised to do their best to keep the maximum volume of recycled containers in circulation.

Scheme design and governance are typically managed by the state government. The scheme coordinator manages overall scheme costs, engagement with beverage suppliers and is ensuring the scheme is run efficiently. The network operator is incentivised to maintain an easy to use and accessible network of return points which maximises container recovery.

How Cleanaway supports container return schemes in Australia

Cleanaway provides collections in selected regions for Containers for Change in Queensland and Western Australia.

TOMRA Cleanaway is the joint venture leveraging a dynamic combination of cutting-edge technology provided by TOMRA, global leader in reverse vending technology and Cleanaway, Australia’s largest waste management and resource recovery organisation. TOMRA Cleanaway is committed to providing community access to the New South Wales’ Container Deposit Scheme.

Contact us to learn more about how we are making a sustainable future possible for communities and businesses across Australia.

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