MANY of us give our unwanted clothing a new life by donating it to op-shops, giving it to a friend or selling it on a social media. However, not all items can be given a new life, with a stubborn stain or a tear meaning they are rendered unusable.
This results in each of us sending an average 23kg of textiles to landfill annually, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
It is the same with some smaller electronics, such as faulty electronic toothbrushes or a hair dryer that stopped working a year or two ago.
That’s why a recycling trailer commissioned by Flinders Lions Club is so important. It accepts all clean clothing, hats, shoes, bags and small electrical appliances, such as hairdryers, toasters, drills, mobile phones, tablets and laptops, with donors asked to remove loose batteries and to recycle them at participating facilities.
The trailer, pictured, is available for hire by community groups and organisations. It can be booked for up to four weeks and will be delivered to each new location.
All items collected will go to a recycler, the SCR group, for sorting. Worn out textiles will be transformed into wash rags, biofuel and the good pieces donated to op shops or given a second life in global communities that need them most. Faulty electronics are recycled locally.
The mayor Cr Despi O’Connor said: “This initiative is an action to come out of our Beyond Zero Waste Strategy. Join our mission to send zero waste to landfill and take on this declutter challenge to free your home of unwanted clothing and electronic waste.
“I hope many community groups jump on this opportunity and book the trailer for their town. We have designed a promotional poster template for groups to help spread the word in your local communities.”
For details and trailer bookings visit: mornpen.vic.gov.au/recyclingtrailer
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 25 May 2021
