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In this Issue The Vision Towards a zero waste environment The Principles Prevention - to avoid the creation of waste. National Recycling Week 2009: 
National Recycling Week was held between 9 - 15 November 2009 and with the Waste Authority featured a liftout in The West Australian.
Budding film maker awarded for winning ad 
Keep Australia Beautiful (KAB) WA has awarded $1000 to the winner of the ‘Trash My Ad’ competition to create a 30-second anti-littering TV commercial targeting young people. Arts graduate and budding film maker Steve Cardelli from Carlingford NSW created ‘Trash Victims’, an original ad depicting animals in hospital beds talking about being harmed by human littering. To view the winning ad, the People’s Choice Award winner and all other entries, visit Trash My Ad. The winning ad will be part of the pre-screening entertainment at Perth's Movies by Burswood for this summer season. See Movies by Burswood
Znippets Share your good news stories! The Waste Authority is keen to hear good news stories from individuals and Government, business's and industry or community organisations undertaking innovative recycling or waste minimisation projects either funded independently or by the Waste Authority. Tell us about your project using the online form. Recent Publications |
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Draft Waste Strategy for Western Australia The draft Waste Strategy for Western Australia was released by the Waste Authority on 16 September at the Waste and Recycle Conference, Fremantle. The submission period, which closed on 10 December 2009, has been accompanied by a number of workshops, both around the State and within the Perth metropolitan area. Attendance at these has ranged between 8-25 participants. Feedback received from these workshops can be read at www.yoursaywastewa.com.au. 
We have received a number of submissions to date. These can be viewed online at www.yoursaywastewa.com.au. Once the submission period has closed the submissions and workshop feedback will be analysed and amendments will be made to the strategy based on this analysis. The modified draft waste strategy will then be open for review for a further 28 days and all people who either attended a workshop or provided a submission will be invited to provide requests to this modified strategy. Following the 28 day period, the requests will be analysed and further amendments to the strategy will be made. The final version of the strategy will be presented to the Minister for Environment for her approval. Perseverance leads to local glass recycling infrastructure for WA In 2003, Owens Illinois, formerly known as ACI Glass Containers, closed its Perth-based manufacturing facility after some 50 years of operation. With the closure of the local glass recycling infrastructure commenced the practice of transporting WA’s post-consumer glass across the Nullarbor to South Australia for re-use in glass manufacture. Subsequently, the Waste Authority and its predecessor, the Waste Management Board, have proactively investigated options to establish a sustainable local solution to glass recycling. In 2006 a market development study for used glass in WA was commissioned and the report (Market Development Study Used Glass for WA: Aug 2006) outlined a range of issues associated with post consumer glass recovery in WA. Photos from the launch of the project by the Minister and at the existing Colemax recycling plant in Perth: (click to enlarge) 
 More than $50,000 awarded to litter prevention projects Thirteen applicants for the 2009- 2010 Keep Australia Beautiful Litter Prevention Grants were awarded funding towards their of litter prevention programs in metropolitan and regional WA. Congratulations to the following successful applicants:
The 2010-11 Litter Prevention Grant applications will open in August 2010. Visit www.kabc.wa.gov.au for more information. Changes to the Landfill Levy Regulations A decision to increase the landfill levies for inert and putrescible landfills by 300% was announced on 14 May 2009 as part of the State Government’s 2009/10 Budget. The increase in the landfill levies is a necessary step to reduce waste going to landfill and support increased rates of recycling, particularly in the construction and demolition sector. 
The State Government decided to introduce this increase from 1 January 2010 rather than 1 July 2009. The deferral of the increase until 1 January 2010 was intended to provide additional time for affected industries to prepare for the changes and will allow the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Amendment Bill 2009 to be enacted prior to the 300% increase in levies taking effect. Until this time, the existing scheduled levy rates under the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Levy Regulations 2008 will apply. From 1 July 2009, these rates were $3/cubic metre at Category 63 landfill and $8/tonne at Category 64 and 65 landfills. Waste and Recycle Conference deals with Risky Business The Waste Authority was the Gold sponsor for this year’s Waste and Recycle Conference, held between the 15-18 September at the Esplanade Fremantle and was again deemed a highly successful one with over 530 delegates attending over the four days. 
The Conference was themed “The Business of Risk or just plain Risky Business?” and was designed to tackle the changes in market price of recycled commodities and how waste and recycling was valued by community, industry and government both socially and economically. Keynote speakers present at the event included Sandra Cointreau (World Bank, Solid Waste Management), Dr Lisa Skumatz (Principal and Founder, Sera Inc), Professor Dexter Dunphy (University of Technology, Sydney), Lieutenant General Peter Leahy, AC (Director, National Security Institute, University of Canberra) who participated in workshops and gave conferences detailing of their experiences.
Kalgoorlie Waste Strategy Workshop On Friday 20 November Jan Grimoldby, Deputy Chair of the Waste Authority, attended the Workshop for stakeholders and interested public, in order to discuss the draft Waste Strategy and receive feedback. Kalgoorlie was the final of 13 workshops throughout the State and Perth Metropolitan area. The workshop, held at Kalgoorlie Boulder Lotteries House, was well attended with representatives from industry, academia, local government, conservation and environment groups and the general public. Discussion was lively and a number of points pertinent to the Kalgoorlie region were raised. It was emphasized that there was a need to find recovery solutions that minimise the need for transport; concern was raised that introducing the landfill levy into the region would result in increased illegal dumping of which there is already a significant amount, and one suggestion advocated the use of public surveys or similar methods to determine what prevents people from reducing their waste and from recycling at home/business/out in the public arena. “The Kalgoorlie region produces more waste per person than the per capita average. It was great to have enthusiastic participants contributing to the development of the State Waste Strategy and helping to tackle these issues”, Jan said. ‘I look forward to seeing some positive and creative submissions from the region.’ Hedland is WA’s tidiest town Congratulations Hedland (Port and South Hedland) after been judged Western Australia’s Tidy Towns – Sustainable Communities tidiest town for 2009. 
It is the town’s first State title: an accolade they have been working toward for six years. Hedland is now a finalist for the national title, to be announced in May next year. The Keep Australia Beautiful Council (WA) Tidy Towns’ state title and state category achievement awards were presented on 20 November at a special 40th anniversary luncheon held at Royal Perth Yacht Club. State category winners for 2009 are:
Registrations are now open for the 2010 Tidy Towns – Sustainable Communities awards. Register online here or phone 6467 5122 for more information. Perth's Battery Collection Bins a booming success On September 1 2009 the Minister for Environment; Youth the Hon Donna Faragher and the Dry-Cell Battery Working Group launched the start of Perth’s household battery recycling program. This community initiative is the first of its kind in Australia and gives everyone the ability to recycle common household batteries at over 150 convenient locations. 
The vibrant new battery recycling bin has been designed with a slot in the top to allow dry cell batteries to be easily and safely deposited. The types of batteries accepted include:
Since the launch of the program in September, the battery recycling bins have collected over 4 tonnes of batteries. The feedback received from those using the bins has been very positive and the bins have been well utilized. The batteries collected will be recycled into a range of new products, such as street lights and car parts, rather than go to waste.
Waste Wise Schools: Success in the Goldfields. Over the past year a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Waste Wise Schools Program and the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has helped to provide local support for schools in the Goldfields. There are currently 19 participating Waste Wise schools in the region that have benefited from having access to local knowledge, including how to recycle in their area and set up Waste Wise gardens in an arid climate to close the organic recycling loop. 
Through the MoU, Sustainability Officer for the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Joanne Gray, has provided local on the ground support for regional teachers to develop a whole school approach to reduce school waste and foster environmentally sustainable behaviours. She has achieved this by assisting teachers to submit Waste Wise grant applications, by visiting schools to present to staff, running waste audits and speaking to students, and organising topic workshops such as the Great Gardens Workshop recently held in September 2009. To congratulate the Waste Wise schools in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, and acknowledge the teachers and students who have worked hard to reduce waste in their schools, a celebratory event was held at at O’Connor Primary School on 7 December 2009. The morning began with a whole school assembly then teachers and student representatives from a number of schools boarded a bus for a tour of three other Waste Wise Schools.
Early in 2010 Waste Wise will be publishing a case studies book to highlight the extraordinary achievements of these Waste Wise schools, and provide inspiration for any schools beginning their Waste Wise journey.
WA Clean Beach Awards open for nominations There is one thing better than the beach on a hot summer day - a clean beach. 
With temperatures cranking up for summer, it's time to start thinking about the WA Clean Beach Awards - Keep Australia Beautiful WA's annual competition that encourages communities to look after their local beaches. Award winners receive a certificate, a sign, and promotion for their beach and their work through the WA Clean Beach Awards program. Broome’s Cable Beach was judged WA’s cleanest beach in this year’s awards and was ‘highly commended’ for Environmental Innovation in the 2009 National Clean Beach Awards. The 2010 awards will be judged in March 2010 and the State awards breakfast will be held in April 2010. State winners will go on to represent WA in the national competition. Communities can enter their beach in following categories:
Entry is free and opens tomorrow. The closing date is 12 February 2010. For more information contact Keep Australia Beautiful WA on 6467 5143.
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