Recycle Station Update
Did you know that the Deans Marsh Community Recycling Station was established in 2021 with grant funding, in partnership with Surf Coast Shire and Grow Make Gather?
At the time, our community had shown a strong commitment to creating a local recycling initiative, helping divert more waste from landfill. The initial grant funding supported the purchase of collection tubs, social media promotion and a coordinator to help get the program up and running.
The idea was that individual community members would then nominate a waste stream they were passionate about and take responsibility for coordinating its collection and recycling.
However, over time, we've encountered a few challenges that have meant we've had to put most collections on hold.
These include:
Contamination: Collection tubs were increasingly receiving items that weren't accepted in the nominated waste streams.
Waste: Both clean and dirty donations were sometimes left, with unsuitable items having to be disposed of rather than recycled.
Costs: Some recycling programs require items to be packaged and shipped at an ongoing cost to the Cottage. For example, a single TerraCycle recycling box can cost more than $277!
One wonderful example of ongoing community commitment is Juliette, who has continued to advocate for recycling and regularly takes blister packs to Colac to ensure they are recycled. Thank you, Juliette!
So, where to from here?
We'd love to hear what Deans Marsh thinks about the future of our Community Recycling Station.
Is there still an appetite to continue recycling locally? Are there particular waste streams you'd like to see collected? And would you be interested in helping coordinate a collection?
We'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Please get in touch with The Cottage and let us know how you'd like to see our recycling efforts continue.
Email | manager@deansmarshcottage.org.au
Phone | 0499 851 334
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