Infinity Awards 2020 - Winners Stories

The winners of the 2020 Infinity Awards

Category 1 Avoid Recover Protect - Community Waste Award - Wasteless Pantry

Wasteless Pantry has demonstrated waste avoidance in its own operations and champions community waste education. Its zero waste and bulk food stores have increased the profile of circular economy principles throughout the food retail businesses supply chain. In February 2020, customers refilled over 5,000 containers and only generated an average of 1.7kg of waste to landfill per month. Congratulations to Wasteless Pantry for supporting local schools, educating local businesses and normalising waste avoidance behaviour.

Category 2 Avoid Recover Protect - Commercial and Industrial Waste Award - Department 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 and infrastructure within the project site were re-purposed and re-used rather than being demolished and rebuilt. The Brownlie Towers deconstruction resulted in 98 per cent of demolition materials being recycled and 32,163 tonnes of waste being diverted from landfill. Congratulations to the Department of Communities for demonstrating best practice waste recovery as part of a commercial development.

Category 3 Avoid Recover Protect - Waste Management Award - Waste and Recycling Industry Association of Western Australia, Cleanaway WA, Southern Metropolitan Regional Council, SUEZ WA and Western Australian Local Government Association

The statewide 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. Additionally, a collaborative approach has led to consistent messaging and the program of promotional activities throughout the year with nearly all local governments with kerbside recycling adopting the guidelines. Congratulations to the Waste and Recycling Industry Association of Western Australia, Cleanaway WA, Southern Metropolitan Regional Council, SUEZ WA and Western Australian Local Government Association for the high level of collaboration to address community communications on recycling and reducing kerbside bin contamination.

Category 4 Avoid Recover Protect - WA Regional Waste Award - Boyup Brook Community Resource Centre

The Boyup Brook Community Resource Centre has been a collection point for recyclable goods since 2018, allowing this regional community to embrace recycling and divert waste items away from landfill. The Boyup Brook CRC Recycling Hub has proven to be much more than a collection point for recyclable items and is congratulated for opening the conversation in the rural community about recycling, repurposing and diverting waste from landfill.

Category 5 - 2020 Waste Champion - Marcus 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 Western Australia being well positioned to become a low waste, sustainable circular economy focussed on protecting human health and the environment. Mr Geisler is congratulated for his ability to apply lessons learned, align stakeholders with strategic directions and implement policy and action plans in a clear and transparent manner.

Category 6 – Young Waste Achiever – Ms Georgia 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.

Category 7 - Waste Team of the Year - Volunteers of Toodyay Museums

The Volunteers of Toodyay Museums are a dedicated small team who have demonstrated a commitment and passion 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 as a unique canvas for craft people to work with. Shingles have been made into wind chimes, clocks, shingle bells, mosaic works, name boards and pyrographed and stencilled with messages. Congratulations to the Project Shingles team for their commitment to preserving local heritage, reducing waste and demonstrating to the community that a small group of residents can make a difference

Category 8 - Waste Innovation of the Year - Merit Consulting Group

Merit Consulting Group has brought an innovative approach to develop and implement a process to recover clean concrete and steel from over 10,000 lineal metres of pipe contaminated with asbestos and other hazardous materials. Merit Consulting Group designed and built a new processing facility that resulted in a diversion of 693 tonnes of waste to landfill, recovery of 350 tonnes of steel and the reuse of its process water. Merit Consulting Group is congratulated for the innovative design and operation of its processing facility to recover valuable resources and protect the environment.

Category 9 - Waste Wise School of the Year - Augusta 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. Augusta Primary School is congratulated for its continuous efforts to lead by example in recovering value from waste and protecting the environment.

Category 10 - Media Award – Claire Ottaviano

Claire Ottaviano, Echo News journalist, 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.

Created Date:
Tue 10 November 2020

Last Edit Date:
Mon 9 November 2020