at work

The following information gives steps to starting your own Recycling Hub. It’s based on the knowledge and experience of the University of Tasmania’s Recycling Hubs (they call them Recycling Walls) and shared with their kind permission. Read their Recycling Wall Good Sort profile for inspiration. Step 1: About Recycling Hubs Recycling Hubs collect items which […]

It’s no secret that our landfills are choking on waste – bad news for both our environment and the planet. The good news is, just like our household waste, we could be salvaging much of the building site waste coming from construction and demolition jobs. And, with the State Government introducing a new levy on […]

Most of us do a great job utilising kerbside recycling – both at home and in our businesses. But what about those tricky items that seem, by all accounts, unrecyclable? Too often, these products (and the precious materials they contain) end up in landfill, which is bad news for our economy and the health of […]

The Local Coffeehouse in Huonville is a classic good sort kind of place. Not only does this community-minded business sort their waste for kerbside and soft plastics recycling, but they also gather handy items such as jars and egg trays and promote their reuse in the café and via the Reduce Reuse Huon Valley group. […]

Hydro Tasmania is a Tassie icon with inspiring ambitions to be a good sort with waste.
Across their three business arms – including Momentum Energy and Entura – they set themselves a waste diversion target of 95% by December 2021.  Central to achieving that goal was finding ways to avoid generating waste from the outset, by changing the materials used and mindsets of staff in all aspects of the business from procurement policies to lunch-room operations and everything in between.

Local councils are acting to stop illegal dumping, with more affordable, safe and easy disposal options than ever before. Fridges, car bodies, loads of rubbish, tyres, green waste and other bulky items can be safely disposed or recycled – and for less than you might think. Some councils also offer Hard Waste Collection days or […]

Congratulations to all winners in the eighth annual Waste NoT Awards (NoT = Northern Tasmania)! Primary School CategoryLongford Primary School – found unique and innovative ways to make their school more sustainable. They have purchased waste separation bins and are now separating soft plastics, paper, general recycling and compost. The compost is used in the […]

Reducing plastic, eliminating food waste and repurposing hearing aids to those in need are some of the innovations to come from a circular economy grants round. Almost $200,000 has been awarded to seven Northern Tasmanian businesses to support their move from a “take it, make it, break it, bin it” lifecycle to one that reuses, […]

Can a long-life carton go in the kerbside recycling bin? Long-life liquid cartons (also known as UHT cartons, aseptic drink boxes, or Tetra Paks) can no longer be recycled anywhere in Tasmania and so, unfortunately, must be disposed in the garbage. Long-life cartons are made from a combination of cardboard with thin layers of plastic […]

Can’t find a re-use for your old paint, varnish, deck stains or the old paintpots and pails?  Then the Paintback scheme, which celebrated its fifth anniversary in May 2021, can take it for safe disposal. Paintback is open to households and trade users.  It receives unwanted paint and paint packaging from more than 155 Australian […]

The Northern Tasmanian Waste Management Group’s annual resource recovery and waste minimisation grants program has allocated $70,000 towards funding eligible organisations in Northern Tasmania who are demonstrating innovation towards decreasing the amount of waste sent to landfill. The program responds to the increasing financial pressures associated with meeting landfill management, environmental and rehabilitation standards, as […]

Waste NoT Awards 2020 Winners The winners of the seventh annual Waste NoT awards have been announced, with nine projects selected across several categories for their innovative waste management initiatives in Northern Tasmania. The Awards were hosted by the Northern Tasmanian Waste Management Group.Congratulations everyone! Early Learners Category: Break O’Day Child and Family Centre The […]

What is e-waste? E-waste (short for electronic-waste) is electrical equipment that no longer works and can’t be repaired. It Includes computers, printers, mobile phones, TVs, monitors and electrical accessories like keyboards, power supplies and cables. Some e-waste products are recycled under Product Stewardship Schemes, this means that when you buy these products a portion of […]

Circular Economy Northern Tasmania…. it makes sense Northern Tasmanian businesses that want to explore circular economy initiatives have been encouraged to apply to a new grants program. The circular economy is about moving away from a “take it, make it, break it and bin it” lifecycle to one that reuses, repairs, repurposes and recycles and […]

Separating waste at the source by putting the right things in the right bins is one of the easiest ways to stop re-usable and recyclable materials from ending up in landfill. If you have mixed recycling, separate paper and cardboard recycling, food and garden organics collection, a compost bin or general waste collection then help […]

The winners of the sixth annual Waste NoT Awards have been announced, with nine projects selected across several categories for their innovative waste management initiatives in Northern Tasmania. Early Learners Category WINNER: Harper Ling – Harper was nominated by her parents in the Early Learners category for her project “Clean up Local”. Harper is 6 […]

Currently, soft plastics are not accepted for recycling programs, after the national suspension of the REDcycle program. Stakeholders across Australia are working to address this issue, and we will keep you updated on any  new information.

Congratulations to the eleven recipients of the Northern Tasmanian Waste Management Group’s resource recovery and waste minimisation grants for 2018/19. This year the annual program has allocated $70,000 to eligible organisations to help fund infrastructure purchases or educational materials to improve waste management practices in Northern Tasmania. 2018/19 grant recipients: Launceston City Mission – have […]

The winners of the fifth annual Waste NoT Awards were announced at the end of August, with eleven projects selected across several categories for their innovative waste management initiatives in northern Tasmania. Congratulations to: George Town Neighbourhood House, Interweave Arts and Self Help Workshop Inc – winners in the Not for Profit category. Plastic Free […]

Dangerous goods in kerbside recycling bins pose a real risk to staff at Tasmania’s Materials Recovery Facilities who are sorting bin contents by hand. Examples of dangerous goods include needles and other sharps, ammunition and pieces of wire. Help keep recycling sorting staff safe by keeping needles and other sharps out of kerbside recycling. If […]

From humble beginnings selling handmade natural skincare products on a card table at Salamanca market 25 years ago, Jill Saunders’ persistence is really paying off. Jill is the founder of Beauty and the Bees, a Tasmanian business that prides itself on using Earth friendly packaging and edible ingredients, which are continuing to grow in popularity. […]

The Guide to Preparing an Event Waste Management Plan shows how Tasmanian events can reduce or avoid creating landfill rubbish and recover more resources for recycling and reuse. Download the Guide here This free guide can be customised to suit any event size or format, with event managers able to copy the plan sections most relevant […]

Household dry-cell batteries including alkaline, lithium, watch batteries and cordless drill batteries can be recycled in Tasmania, just not through your kerbside recycling bin. When mixed in your kerbside bin, they cannot be easily separated and can contaminate the other recyclables.  They also pose a fire risk within the bin and the collection trucks. Instead, […]

Tasmania’s construction and demolition industry is facing a big opportunity to reinforce the state’s ‘clean green’ reputation and increase the amount of resources recovered from the 44,000 tonnes of waste generated by the sector each year. The industry’s performance in resource recovery is the lowest in Australia with only 1% of construction and demolition waste […]