WA waste champions recognised to Infinity and beyond

  • Infinity Awards honour remarkable work in waste reduction
  • Winners demonstrated waste avoidance, resource recovery and environment protection outcomes 
  • Western Australia’s recycling and waste champions have been unveiled today with announcement of the 2020 Infinity Awards winners.

    The annual awards – run by the Waste Authority – recognise individuals, businesses, government, schools, community organisations, not-for-profits and media outlets for their innovative solutions to reduce waste and promote reuse and recycling.

    A shortlist of more than 100 nominations were assessed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and the Waste Authority. The calibre of entries was exceptionally high.

    The diversity of the nominees this year demonstrates better waste outcomes are being achieved for everything from large redevelopments right through to community projects and illustrates the commitment of many to make WA a better and more sustainable place to live.

    The winner of the Waste Wise School of the Year award is Augusta Primary School, which has been recognised for its approach to reducing and reusing waste, and educating the community. Boyup Brook Community Resource Centre took out the WA Regional Waste Award in recognition of the significant role it plays in recycling and diverting waste from landfill.

    The Community Waste Award went to zero waste food retailer Wasteless Pantry with its branches in Mundaring, Bassendean and Greenwood. This innovative business was commended for demonstrating waste avoidance in its operations and for championing community waste education. So successful is it in its zero-waste endeavours that in February 2020 customers refilled more than 5,000 containers and only generated an average of 1.7kg of waste.

    The nomination period for 2021, to be named the WasteSorted Awards, will be opened before the end of the year.

    As stated by Environment Minister Stephen Dawson:

    “The Infinity Awards acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding achievements of Western Australians working towards a better waste future through improved waste practices and innovative waste solutions.

    “The quality of the entries in this year’s awards was extremely high and all nominees should be very proud of the excellent work they are undertaking across our State.

    “Now more than ever, Western Australia has many individuals and organisations going the extra mile to achieve reductions in waste and an increase in resource recovery.

    “This week is National Recycling Week and so these awards are an ideal opportunity to recognise and reward the incredible work being done around the State to avoid and recover waste and protect the environment.”

    2020 Infinity Award finalists and winners: 

    Community Waste Award
    FinalistsWasteless Pantry Pty Ltd

    Green Skills Inc – The Cloth Nappy Project

    Onya

    Ascot Park Council of Owners – Ascot Park Apartments: Waste Project

    SecondBite WA

    Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC), City of Melville, City of Kwinana, City of Fremantle, Town of East Fremantle, WREN, Fremantle Men’s Shed – Recycling Drop off Stations in SMRC region

    Scarborough Sunset Markets

    WinnerWasteless Pantry

    Wasteless Pantry has demonstrated waste avoidance in its own operations and has championed community waste education. These zero waste and bulk food stores have increased circular economy principles throughout the supply chain. In February 2020, customers refilled over 5,000 containers and only generated an average of 1.702kg of waste to landfill.

    Commercial and Industrial Waste Award
    FinalistsDepartment of Communities – Bentley 360 Project

    Merit Consulting Group – Wrapped Pipes Project

    IGO Limited – I-GO Green Waste Reduction Initiative

    Main Roads Western Australia – Roads to Reuse Pilot Trial

    Earthcare Recycling

    Environmental Engineers International Pty Ltd – Treatment of Alumina Refinery Waste Through SPORE

    WinnerDepartment of Communities – Bentley 360 Project

    The 24ha Bentley 360 urban renewal project led by the Department of Communities has demonstrated best practice in avoiding and recovering commercial and industrial waste. Existing buildings were repurposed and the deconstruction of the Brownlie Towers resulted in 98 per cent of demolition materials being recycled, and 32,163 tonnes of waste being diverted from landfill.

    Waste Management Award
    FinalistsWaste and Recycling Industry Association of Western Australia, Cleanaway WA, Southern Metropolitan Regional Council, SUEZ WA, Western Australian Local Government Association – State Wide Guidelines for Kerbside Recycling

    Mindarie Regional Council – Winning Back Waste

    Write Solutions Australia – Organic Revolution

    Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council – Wood Waste Facility

    Rottnest Island Authority

    Sodexo and Rio Tinto

    City of Stirling – Championing Change Through Education and Actions

    WinnerWaste and Recycling Industry Association of WA, Cleanaway WA, Southern Metropolitan Regional Council, SUEZ WA and WA Local Government Association

    The State-wide guidelines for kerbside recycling demonstrate a collaborative approach to address the need to reduce contamination in kerbside recycling bins. A commonly agreed A-Z guide has been developed, to reduce confusion and guide householders in correctly disposing of their waste materials into the correct kerbside bin. Nearly all Local Governments with kerbside recycling have adopted the guidelines.

    WA Regional Waste Award
    FinalistsBoyup Brook – Community Resource Centre Recycling Hub

    City of Bunbury – Waste Education Team

    Ningaloo Bulk Foods

    ABC Foundation Ltd – Don’t Let Your Crop Rot

    IGO Limited – I-GO Green Waste Reduction Initiative

    WinnerBoyup Brook Community Resource Centre

    The Boyup Brook Community Resource Centre has been a collection point for recyclable goods since 2018, allowing the community to embrace recycling and divert waste items from landfill.

    Waste Champion
    FinalistsMarcus Geisler

    Brandon Tomic

    Evette Wilson

    Nicolette Neveu-Abramczuk

    WinnerMarcus Geisler

    Marcus Geisler has been a champion for waste reduction in Western Australia for many years. Mr Geisler’s sustained efforts in various roles within the waste sector have contributed to the State being well positioned to become a low waste, sustainable circular economy focused on protecting human health and the environment.

    Young Waste Achiever
    FinalistsGeorgia Holt

    Charlotte Curtis-Davis

    AJ Smallberger

    WinnerGeorgia Holt

    Georgia Holt is a driving force in her community for environmental and social causes. Ms Holt advocated to the City of Kalamunda for a recycling and general waste bin to assist her in her regular clean-up days at Woodlupine Brook and was involved in selecting the bin location. Ms Holt met with 7-Eleven Chairman Michael Smith after identifying and writing to him to explain her environmental concerns that 7-Eleven’s “Slurpy and coffee cups” were a major litter item in Woodlupine Brook. Together they are now discussing ideas to reduce the environmental impact of disposable items.

    Waste Team of the Year
    FinalistsVolunteers of Toodyay Museums

    Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital

    Ascot Park Council of Owners

    City of Bunbury Waste Services Team

    Wasteless Pantry Pty Ltd

    City of Wanneroo Waste Team

    Kinn & Co – The Waste Warriors

    Mindarie Regional Council – One Team

    WinnerVolunteers of Toodyay Museums

    The Volunteers of Toodyay Museums are part of a small, dedicated team that have demonstrated a commitment to reducing waste and protecting heritage through Project Shingles. The team recovered approximately 21,000 shingles and prevented 12 tonnes of material from going to landfill. The recovered shingles are cleaned and sold as souvenirs or used as a unique canvas for craft people to work with.

    Waste Innovation of the Year
    FinalistsMerit Consulting Group – Wrapped Pipes Project

    Dr Yu Dong – Novel Bionanocomposite Films for Sustainable Food Packaging to Reduce Solid Waste Landfills

    Matter

    BinSense – Smarter Bins

    Aroona Alliance, Water Corporation – Harvesting struvite from digested sludge centrate: Beenyup pilot plant

    WinnerMerit Consulting Group

    Merit Consulting has brought an innovative approach to develop and implement a process to recover clean concrete and steel from over 10,000 lineal metres of contaminated pipe. Merit consulting designed and built a new processing facility that resulted in a diversion of 693 tonnes of waste to landfill, recovery of 350 tons of steel and the reuse of its process water.

    Waste Wise School of the Year
    FinalistsAugusta Primary School

    Hillcrest Primary School

    Mary’s Mount Primary School

    St Mary’s College Broome (Primary Campus)

    Bold Park Community School

    West Greenwood Primary School

    Parkfield Primary School

    WinnerAugusta Primary School

    Augusta Primary School has demonstrated a multi-faceted approach to reducing and reusing waste and educating the community. In addition to worm farms and compost to recover organics from lunchboxes and the canteen, the school recovers all paper waste, and produces weed mats and firebricks for sale. Other materials that the Augusta Primary School collects for recycling are soft plastics, Nespresso pods, batteries, plastic bottle lids and bread tags.

    Media Award
    FinalistsMs Claire Ottaviano, Echo News

    Ms Joanna Prendergast, ABC Mid-West

    Ms Tyne Logan, ABC

    Ms Lucy Jarvis, Community News

    Ms Emma Young, WAtoday

    ABC producer Ms Elicia Kennedy and reporter Ms Eliza Borrello

    WinnerClaire Ottaviano, Echo News

    Claire Ottaviano has actively reported on several environmental and waste issues across the Perth Hills region, including active coverage of illegal dumping and implementation of FOGO. Environment and waste issues are of high importance to Echo News readership and Ms Ottaviano consistently maintains an active awareness of local activities which may impact upon the pristine nature of the area and is quick to address the waste concerns of the community.

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