Keeping Tassie beautiful one reusable car litter tidy bag at a time
News and Events / Good Sorts
A couple of memorable experiences prompted Susan from Huon Pride Together and her three children to take action on roadside litter.
First, as long-time participants in the Huon’s home schooler’s volunteer clean up programs, they were noticing the recurring volume of roadside litter despite their efforts. Then, while jumping out of the car after a family drive, the contents of the plastic tidy-bag on the inside car door caught the wind and scattered along the street. It was while chasing down fly-away lolly wrappers Susan had the inevitable thought… “There has to be a better way!”
Susan had attended a Huon Valley Council meeting months prior, where another attendee suggested car tidy bags.
When passion and persistence unite in Tasmanians who are good sorts, it leads to action and this Car Litter Tidy Bag project was born.
Susan’s family with help from other home schoolers and community groups such as Oura Oura House, Sacred Heart Geeveston and Huon Pride Together have made more than 285 reusable car litter tidy bags that sit safely and conveniently over a vehicle headrest or centre console. The bags are made primarily from material salvaged from second-hand stores, including doona covers and a series has even been fashioned out of old Huon Aquaculture work uniforms which will be converted into car tidy bags and returned to the Huon Aquaculture staff.
Purchasing material and thread for the bags was assisted by a Keep Australia Beautiful grant and iron-on labels were funded by a generous donation from MP Bastian Seidel.
Susan has plans to distribute the washable bags in return for a gold-coin donation from service stations, takeaway food stores and other venues across the Huon and there are ambitions to extend the program and keep making these reusable bags.
Their goal is for every vehicle in the neighbourhood to have one, and to create a new habit of binning waste generated while travelling rather than it becoming litter. Susan and her family are true Tassie Good Sorts!
Susan is keen to enlist the help of schools, community groups and others to sew bags using a ready-made pattern. Anyone interested in sewing the car litter tidy bags or assisting with distribution is encouraged to contact Susan at huonpridetogether@gmail.com
And remember…. If you see someone littering or wish to report dumped rubbish, report it for action to EPA Tasmania by calling 1300 135 513 or visit:
https://epa.tas.gov.au/sustainability/litter-and-dumping/report-litter-and-dumping
