Group items tagged

"Increasingly the things we throw away have value. In a consumerist world, with diminishing resources, rubbish is being recycled like never before. The recycling industry is now worth $US500 billion a year and it employs more people worldwide than any other industry except agriculture. Trash is no longer just an environmental problem, it's an economic opportunity. We learn how the stuff of our past is helping to fuel the demand of tomorrow."

"EU legislation is fuelling a multibillion-dollar market. As landfill charges increase, it is often cheaper to send rubbish abroad"

"Food and packaging waste is not simply something that 'goes away' when we pop it in the rubbish bin for collection by our garbos. Waste has an insidious, long-term impact on our environment, our wildlife and ultimately our own health. But how do we avoid it? In an age of excess consumption and a mindset of convenience-at-all-cost, is it possible to truly be waste free? The free-to-watch documentary shows how food and plastic waste can be avoided, drawing attention to much of the unnecessary packaging that is choking our lives, oceans and animals. It also gives an insight into the environmental and social impacts of our wasteful ways."

"But sea debris comes from both land and sea sources and it's hard to point to its exact origin and hence to get a polluter to take responsibility for cleaning it up."

"We should all start noticing rubbish on the street and pick it up. If I walk past it, I accept it. See it, Bin it. Witness it, Report it! Everyday"

"Australians have come a long way in how we recycle our empty bottles and cans. More people are recycling than ever before through their convenient and easy to use kerbside recycling systems, there is less litter and a greater awareness of the importance of reducing the impact of rubbish on our environment. But there's no doubt that we can all be doing more. Our politicians believe the answer is to introduce a drink container tax where we all have to pay up to 20 cents more for our bottles and cans at the shop - a 10 cent deposit plus a handling fee of up to 10 cents. Instead of being able to recycle these containers at a kerbside collection we would have to wash them, store them and then take them to a recycling depot to have the 10 cent deposit returned."

"UK cities pay to send rubbish to Norwegian incinerators, but green campaigners warn of dangers"

"Tony Abbott is facing growing discontent among his colleagues about his $3.2 billion Direct Action plan to combat climate change, a policy once described by Malcolm Turnbull as rubbish. Liberal MPs Mal Washer and Dennis Jensen say the Coalition should review or consider abandoning parts of the policy in the light of ''dire economic circumstances''."

"The 2013 Regional Public Place Recycling Grants aim to make it easier for regional Victorians to dispose of rubbish and recyclable waste correctly in public places. The competitive, merit-based $1 million grants program encourages partnerships between local government, business and community to address the challenge of resource recovery in public places. The total $800,000 grant funds available are for projects that involve education and infrastructure."

"1 person ~ 1 km ~ 1 Hr! My contribution to a global issue. Collecting rubbish left or washed in & onto the beaches surrounding Torquay, Australia!"

TeachWild is a nationwide marine debris project being run by leading scientists from the CSIRO and universities together with teachers, students and employees from Founding Partner Shell Australia. Information collected by citizen scientists will contribute to a comprehensive national picture of the marine debris issue across Australia. This website is equipped with some of the most up-to-date information and learning materials available on marine debris.

Sustainability Victoria and the Metropolitan Waste Management Group have developed an education program to increase household recycling rates across metropolitan Melbourne.

"Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it is picked up on bin night? We show you where it goes, how it's processed, what it gets turned into and why it is so important you do your bit to get it right on bin night!"

"We challenge the reader, on Oceans Day, to join us in a one-month "plastic de-tox" commitment. Start by counting how many disposable plastic items you use in one day, and decide how many of them you could do away without compromising your quality of life in any significant manner."

"The old-fashioned approach to recycling in which consumers pay a redeemable deposit on drink containers is popular among all kinds of people, from Greenpeace members to traditional Coalition voters. But this nostalgia-fuelled enthusiasm isn't a good reason to suspend sound judgement. The truth is container deposit schemes are outdated and ineffective, and it's time we consigned the idea to history's dustbin."

"Due to Sweden's innovative waste-to-energy program and highly efficient recycling habits, the Scandinavian nation faces an interesting dilemma. They have run out of trash."

Plastic Free July is a simple idea developed in 2011. It aims to raise awareness of the amount of plastic in our lives by encouraging people to eliminate the use of single-use plastic during July each year. Plastic Free July is an initiative of the Western Metropolitan Regional Council (WMRC) in Perth, Western Australia. It was developed by clever Earth Carers staff. It has now gone worldwide.

"Beach Patrol is a chain of FEP community groups each defined by suburb, post code and t-shirt colour.Starting in 2009 with 3206 Beach Patrol - Middle Park , it quickly became evident that many 3206 residents cared greatly about the condition of their local beaches and were in fact willing to donate one hour of their time each month to help keep the beaches cleaner and safer for the greater enjoyment of all. Beach Patrol - Port Melbourne was soon up and running and following on 3182 Beach Patrol - St Kilda and 3186 Beach Patrol are now also going strong."

"I'm thinking, you know, it was good shit, plastic. It answered a myriad of "how to" questions, and thus occasioned a fabulous efflorescence, an unprecedented burst of wealth. Maybe plastic was Death disguised as Santa Claus-something for everyone from the ever-expanding plastic sack-but certainly this would be a tough planet without the plastic used in our technology. Maybe a good motto for homo sapiens as a species is, Live fast, die young, and leave a pretty archeological record. Our stratum will be a bright, shiny smear of plastic."