Who won the Recycling Olympics?

12.02. 2009

Nippers from North Steyne and Manly surf clubs participated in the Recycling Olympics held at the Northern Beaches Junior Surf Carnival (NSW) on 16 November, during Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week. Nilushi Disanayake, Waste Minimisation and Education Officer at Manly Council, said such events are great ways to get the littlies thinking about recycling by dressing up relatively complex concepts with generous dollops of fun.

This event was supported by Surf Life Saving Australia’s Ecosurf program to promote a waste-wise ethic among beach users and nippers.

The event also featured short talks and other aspects with a varied educational function, including a children’s recycled art competition that encouraged the re-conceptualisation of waste in creative and innovative ways. A researcher from Sydney University took that notion to another level by discussing the use of industrial off-cuts in different commercial uses.

Representatives from Coastcare and the Ecodivers also spoke and were quite entertaining, discussing pertinent issues of the effects of marine litter on our local beaches. A speaker from the Manly food coop talked about the benefits of bulk purchasing and a speaker from VISY recycling talked about the recycling process and statistics relevant to Manly’s recycling output.

The Fridge Buy Back program (recycling old fridges) and Council’s Battery Recycling program were also promoted.

The event included displays and brochures for passers by on the day and featured some entertaining mascots, including Billy Box and Reggie Recycle.

Nilushi said Manly Council (in fact any council) would be happy to hear about future requests and opportunities for involvement in similar educational initiatives that seek to raise awareness about beach litter and the re-use, and reduction and recycling of common household waste. In a practical sense, these activities teach kids what can be recycled in Council’s recycling bins, but they have a wider purpose in explaining what recycling is and why it is important.

Could this work at your club?
Nilushi says that, in hindsight, the speakers were better suited to an indoor, perhaps evening, event, however the Recycling Olympics worked well in the carnival context. More in-depth waste concepts could be explored with older kids.