RCA Waste Away Project
Local Service Project September 2021 – June 2022
Rotary International has developed a strong reputation for community engagement to reduce waste, clean the environment and adhere to correct processes for waste management.
The Rotary Club of Attadale is using a community advocacy focus on environmental issues as a Local Community Service initiative for the Waste Away project. Community advocacy is based on active citizenship for Club members.
Joyce Smith is leading this initiative with a great personal commitment to sustainable environmental practices. Keith McNaught has joined her in the project, and they welcome anyone else to be part of this grassroots initiative.
Locally, the City of Melville’s consultation process, which informed their Community Engagement Plan, identified that ‘environment’ was the number one issue for respondents. The City of Melville has, in correspondence, indicated their keenness for RCA to be active in encouraging correct waste management practices.
The Working Group* are planning a media release which highlights the RCA interest in best practice in waste management.
The Waste Away project is premised on the responsibility for all residents and businesses to manage waste correctly, acknowledging this can take additional effort and additional cost. Preliminary work indicates that Westfield’s Garden City shopping centre provides every retailer with the correct options for waste management, ensuring that waste which can be recycled does not to landfill. Conversely, preliminary work indicates that stand-alone businesses are often not recycling but rather sending a range of recyclable products to landfill.
Possible actions for all RCA members to support Waste Away include:
– Become active in this working group.
– Ensuring our home waste is correctly managed for the best possible approach to disposal.
– Refusing to accept poor waste management practices based on the fallacious arguments that it’s either it’s ‘too hard’ or that it is ‘too expensive’.
– Reporting environmental concerns using “Snap, Send, Solve” (to be launched in October).
– Using free services which allow members to dispose of problematic waste correctly, e.g. paint.
– Identifying products which are difficult to dispose of and sending the details to Joyce and Keith and they’ll investigate options.
– Learning about innovative recycling programs where specific items can be deposited
– Many businesses provide collection points for specific items to be deposited, such the Urban Revolution shop in Victoria Park
– Donating goods which can be re-used to charity, including PortCare as a current focus organisation for our support.
– Asking businesses you regularly use if they are ensuring their waste is correctly separated for recycling.
– Supporting the RCA “Containers for Change” project, which is already raising $1200 per annum for the Club.
– Correctly use public waste disposal systems which separate materials to ensure recycling can occur (e.g. in food halls, parks).
– If you are aware of commercial operation not making use of recycling, please send the details to Joyce Smith. Through contacts supplied by the City of Melville, we can refer businesses to services which can assist with reducing landfill.
The Working Group will coordinate an approach to businesses through writing to the business and escalating as appropriate. Where businesses are not recycling significant quantities of waste, and only sending these to landfill, we will use advocacy to encourage a change to their practices.
_________________________
*The Working Group will maintain a de-identified record of Members’ actions to demonstrate our Club’s work as community advocates. Members will be invited to sign up for a monthly reporting cycle. This will be as simple as an email, letting the group know what you’ve been doing (e.g. that you have a containers for change bag on the go, or that you’re using your home bins correctly). No names will occur in the reporting, it will just be a tracking tool that we are being active in these areas.
The Rotary Club of Attadale is using a community advocacy focus on environmental issues as a Local Community Service initiative for the Waste Away project. Community advocacy is based on active citizenship for Club members.
Joyce Smith is leading this initiative with a great personal commitment to sustainable environmental practices. Keith McNaught has joined her in the project, and they welcome anyone else to be part of this grassroots initiative.
Locally, the City of Melville’s consultation process, which informed their Community Engagement Plan, identified that ‘environment’ was the number one issue for respondents. The City of Melville has, in correspondence, indicated their keenness for RCA to be active in encouraging correct waste management practices.
The Working Group* are planning a media release which highlights the RCA interest in best practice in waste management.
The Waste Away project is premised on the responsibility for all residents and businesses to manage waste correctly, acknowledging this can take additional effort and additional cost. Preliminary work indicates that Westfield’s Garden City shopping centre provides every retailer with the correct options for waste management, ensuring that waste which can be recycled does not to landfill. Conversely, preliminary work indicates that stand-alone businesses are often not recycling but rather sending a range of recyclable products to landfill.
Possible actions for all RCA members to support Waste Away include:
– Become active in this working group.
– Ensuring our home waste is correctly managed for the best possible approach to disposal.
– Refusing to accept poor waste management practices based on the fallacious arguments that it’s either it’s ‘too hard’ or that it is ‘too expensive’.
– Reporting environmental concerns using “Snap, Send, Solve” (to be launched in October).
– Using free services which allow members to dispose of problematic waste correctly, e.g. paint.
– Identifying products which are difficult to dispose of and sending the details to Joyce and Keith and they’ll investigate options.
– Learning about innovative recycling programs where specific items can be deposited
– Many businesses provide collection points for specific items to be deposited, such the Urban Revolution shop in Victoria Park
– Donating goods which can be re-used to charity, including PortCare as a current focus organisation for our support.
– Asking businesses you regularly use if they are ensuring their waste is correctly separated for recycling.
– Supporting the RCA “Containers for Change” project, which is already raising $1200 per annum for the Club.
– Correctly use public waste disposal systems which separate materials to ensure recycling can occur (e.g. in food halls, parks).
– If you are aware of commercial operation not making use of recycling, please send the details to Joyce Smith. Through contacts supplied by the City of Melville, we can refer businesses to services which can assist with reducing landfill.
The Working Group will coordinate an approach to businesses through writing to the business and escalating as appropriate. Where businesses are not recycling significant quantities of waste, and only sending these to landfill, we will use advocacy to encourage a change to their practices.
_________________________
*The Working Group will maintain a de-identified record of Members’ actions to demonstrate our Club’s work as community advocates. Members will be invited to sign up for a monthly reporting cycle. This will be as simple as an email, letting the group know what you’ve been doing (e.g. that you have a containers for change bag on the go, or that you’re using your home bins correctly). No names will occur in the reporting, it will just be a tracking tool that we are being active in these areas.