2021 Winners

Councillors’ WasteSMART Choice Award

WINNER: Karana Downs & Surrounds Community Garden Hub

Creating a community compost hub to utilise waste food and materials that would have otherwise gone to landfill and repurposing them to enhance the local area, teach the local population how to repurpose waste, regenerate bushland, grow vegetables and assist in the repopulation of endangered species.

Finalists:

  • Leanne Hutton
  • LEAD Childcare Wooloowin

 

Brisbane’s WasteSMART Champions Award

WINNER: Renae McBrien

A passionate individual working towards a sustainable goal to ‘design out waste’ from all daily domestic and commercial transactions. Her goal to mitigate waste from Brisbane landfill, is growing and being achieved through her personal leadership to create small diversion and resource recovery projects. She has volunteered over 850 hours since establishing the Tarragindi Community Garden; mitigated 9 tonnes of domestic and commercial organic waste since January 2020; and has educated over 1200 hospital staff to understand responsible waste management and clinical recycling methods.

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Holly & Charli Garrity

Two sisters who run multiple activities in the community including collecting 40k containers for recycling, running clean up events, collecting over 80k plastic lids to recycle into prosthetic limbs for kids, bush care rehabilitation and running quarterly fashion swap events.

Finalists:

  • Pamela Gibson

 

WasteSMART Community Award

JOINT WINNER: Ocean Crusaders Foundation Ltd

Are dedicated to keeping our waterways clean through hardcore clean ups, community group clean ups, new collection devices and their Caps Crusade. Their clean up program removed 54 tonne of debris from Brisbane over 58 days, and their community events had over 120 volunteers removing over 3 tonne of debris. Their Caps Crusade program has saved over 10 million caps from going to landfill, and their Automatic River Cleaner technology collect debris from the river 24/7.

JOINT WINNER: Tarragindi Community Garden

A community space that provides the local community with free harvest, garden produce, sustainable education sessions and drives their unique Recycling Hub. They have over 1000 social members and have giving out over 150 compost caddies that have rescued over 9 tonnes of food waste in the past 10 months.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Care Kits for Kids Qld Inc

Collect donated fabric, wool and notions in the war on waste, and supply it to many community groups including partner In Stitches Brisbane, or individuals around Brisbane to create items to meet supplies needed for the Care Kits given to children in crisis or out-of-home care.

Finalists:

  • Save Our Supplies
  • eWaste Connection Limited
  • Moreton Island Protection Committee

 

WasteSMART Business Award

WINNER (<19 employees): Vessel Nundah

Helping households reduce their single-use plastic waste associated with their use of skincare and cleaning products. Their customers to date have avoided the production, shipping, use and disposal of approximately 20,000 x 500mL single-use plastic containers, by refilling with Vessel Nundah.

WINNER (>20 employees): Howard Smith Wharves

A food and beverage precinct ensuring the waste that is generated across the many outlets is separated, segregated, and recycled. Resource recovery initiatives include: food and compostable waste, glass, cooking oil, cardboard, steel food tins, coffee and ice cream cups, co-mingled recycling, soft plastics, printer cartridges, e-waste, battery bins, polystyrene and waxed cardboard boxes. They welcome many businesses, schools and community groups to come and learn about their sustainability practices.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Northshore Street Food & Arts Markets Pty Ltd

The venue has been able to reduce weekly landfill contribution by 2/3, saving 76.34m3 from landfill on a weekly basis. Weekly they save around one tonne of food scraps for drought affected regional farmers to use as animal feed, recycle up to 900L of cooking oil, and recycle 32 cubic metres of cardboard. Other initiatives include recycling oyster shells and collections through Containers for Change from which income is donated to the Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Finalists:

  • Olive Eco Hair
  • Luna and Sun
  • EarthCheck

 

WasteSMART Early Learning Award

WINNER: Bellbowrie Early Education Centre

Have implemented a new team of Sustainability Officers to look at the way waste is created in the centre and how it can be reduced. Activities include collecting containers, bottle caps for Ocean Crusaders, bread tags for the local Girl Guides, and batteries to be recycled; shredding waste paper to turn into paper bricks that families can use for fires, adding two new composting bins and worm farms for food waste, and collecting donated items from families to use in craft activities.

Finalists:

  • Avenues Early Learning Centre Jindalee
  • Avenues Early Learning Centre Bowen Hills

 

WasteSMART Schools Award

JOINT WINNER: Mt St Michael’s College

The environment group meet fortnightly and are looking at ways to make changes at the system level to maximise their waste reduction. Their five stage plan for the school includes implementing containers for change, school-wide commercial composting, compostable packaging at the school canteen, co-mingled recycling, and soft plastics recycling.

JOINT WINNER: Pallara State School Environment Club

This Environment Club consists of around 60 children from Year 3 to 6 who undertake a range of activities including a before-school session each Tuesday, including rostered collection of compost bins, worm farming, garden weeding and watering, plant propagation, environmental art, native animal nest box building and a subset of students running projects under the auspices of Eco-Marines. They also have an interest in native bees, having four hives on-site. Students host clean up events around school lunch areas, and sort through the rubbish to collect data for analysis.

Finalists:

  • Greenslopes State School P&C

 

Outstanding WasteSMART Award

WINNER: Save Our Supplies

Are addressing wastage occurring in hospitals by providing an innovative and cost-effective way of eliminating clean medical waste in our hospitals and repurposing it so it can be used by people in desperate need of better health care. They have partnered with 10 of Brisbane’s largest hospitals. Since Jan 2020 their volunteer network of 25 people have saved an estimated 2.5 tonnes of medical waste to be re-purposed, and have supplied $1.5m worth of medical supplies to international communities in need.

Finalists:

  • Care Kits for Kids Qld Inc
  • Howard Smith Wharves
  • Renae McBrien

 

People’s Choice WasteSMART Award

The public was invited to vote for the one winner in this category. This category comprises of finalists shortlisted by the judges across all categories.

WINNER: Mt St Michael’s College

The environment group meet fortnightly and are looking at ways to make changes at the system level to maximise their waste reduction. Their five stage plan for the school includes implementing containers for change, school-wide commercial composting, compostable packaging at the school canteen, co-mingled recycling, and soft plastics recycling.

 

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2020 Winners

 

Councillors’ WasteSMART Choice Award

WINNER: Kingfisher Recycling Centre

Kingfisher Recycling Centre is a place for students to learn valuable skills while helping the environment. They have branched out into the community to become a place for volunteers and waste minimisation enthusiasts, and have recently because one of Council’s Community Composting Hubs.

Finalists:

  • Sonya Kerslake
  • Taringa Community Garden

 

Brisbane’s WasteSMART Champions Award

WINNER (6-17 years): Ethan Heng

Ethan has hosted 3 community clean up days with his mum that focus on educating other young participants about the environment. He collected 739 pieces of rubbish on his school break and shared this experience in his school newsletter.

WINNER (18+ years): Renae McBrien

Renae delivers vast waste reform and education across health care services in Brisbane, by introducing recycling streams that divert hospital waste to be reused and repurposed. She has delivered education on waste to over 1,000 people in the past year and has an engaged social media community. She was also responsible for setting up the Tarragindi Community Garden.

Finalists:

  • Christine Rafter
  • Manny Findlay

 

WasteSMART Community Award

WINNER #1: OzHarvest Brisbane

OzHarvest rescues surplus food that would otherwise goes to waste from commercial businesses and delivers that food at no cost to charities feeding vulnerable Australians. During COVID-19, they developed #HospoHeroes to provide over 7,000 healthy meals for families, international students and other vulnerable groups with the help of restaurants, kitchens and caterers.

WINNER #2: eWaste Connection

eWaste Connection operates an electrical waste recycling centre. As a community resource they offer valuable work experience for individuals with a disability or disadvantaged background, and volunteering opportunities for people in Brisbane’s western suburbs. They operate 6 days per week offering meaningful activities for over 70 persons with a disability. They also offer the community a convenient drop off location for unwanted e-waste.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Repair Cafe Sandgate

Repair Cafe Sandgate provide a free meeting place where people can repair household items together with skilled volunteers. They have diverted almost 82kg from landfill and fixed 76% of the items brought in by visitors.

Finalists:

  • Ocean Crusaders Foundation
  • Northey Street City Farm
  • ReThink Store
  • Substation33

 

WasteSMART Business Award

WINNER (<5O Employees): Northshore Street Food and Art Markets

Northshore Street Food and Art Markets as owners of Eat Street Northshore have significantly reduced their general waste over the past 18 months, with their weekly landfill contribution reduced by 2/3, saving 76.34m2 from landfill each week.

WINNER (50+ Employees): Howard Smith Wharves

Howard Smith Wharves have achieved a landfill diversion rate of 81.85% with an aspiration goal to become zero-waste. They have initiated a take-back program where delivered goods are transferred to reusable tubs before being given back to suppliers. They implement recycle and resource activities that provide a social and environmental benefit.

Finalists:

  • Loop Growers
  • RECAN Create
  • Biome
  • Officeworks Adelaide Street

 

WasteSMART Schools Award

Winner (Primary School): Yeronga State School Green Team

Year 5 and 6 students in the Green Team meet weekly in four separate task forces to brainstorm, plan, and establish initiatives to help make their school more sustainable. The task force tackle Nude Food, Composting, Recycling and Litter.

Winner (Secondary School): Hillbrook Anglican School

Hillbrook has a goal to be zero waste and sort their bins into soft plastics, compostable, recyclables and landfill. They divert 1000L of waste each week. Their tuckshop has transitioned to compostable package and their waste management strategies complement other initiatives around the school such as teaching Circular Economy units with project-based learning, energy reduction campaigns and land for wildlife work.

Highly Commended #1: Lota State School

Students are committed to reduce waste through weekly wrapper free lunch days, emu parades, annual toy and book swaps and educational programs about the effects of litter. They have started a bottle top collection to be recycled into buoys through Ocean Crusaders, are part of the Containers for Change program, collect plastics for Redcycle, and compost their food scraps.

Highly Commended #2: Calamvale Community College

Calamvale Community College run a joint community and school initiative to maximise environmental education, student outcomes and waste reduction. They recycle approximately 10,000 containers per month with over $10,000 raised.  

Finalists:

  • Graceville State School Green Team
  • Mount Alvernia College

 

WasteSMART Kindy Award

WINNER: Geebung Community Kindy

As part of an ongoing collaboration with EcoBiz, this centre has implemented water saving techniques such as half flush cisterns and rainwater tanks. They reuse water from play, recycle materials, compost as well as have a worm farm. Their parent committee have been making connections with their community as well as using social media and highlighting their sustainability practices to encourage new enrolments.

Finalists:

  • Prior Street Child Care and Development
  • 3-5 Space, Goodstart Early Learning

 

People’s Choice WasteSMART Award

The public was invited to vote for the one winner in this category. This category comprises of finalists shortlisted by the judges across all categories.

WINNER: Manny Findlay

Manny has become a local legend in his local community by actively cleaning his local parks and advocating to keep his suburb clean through recycling and litter prevention. He does community announcements with his local Councillor, offers a wheelie bin cleaning service, and has been featured on Channel 7 News.